https://www.mysanantonio.com/sa-obituaries/article/Addie-Garner-Mrs-G-of-Mr-and-Mrs-G-s-Home-12191513.php
Addie Garner, Mrs. G of Mr. and Mrs. G's Home Cooking, dies at 82
By Chuck Blount
Updated 9:34 am CDT, Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Addie Garner with her husband, William, outside their restaurant, Mr. and Mrs. G's Home Cooking. Mrs. Garner died on Monday at age 82.
Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT /SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
Lunchtime business is always brisk at Mr. and Mrs. G's Home Cooking, but on Tuesday many of the customers were there to offer condolences as they went through the serving line.
Addie Garner, who the regulars called "Mama" at the iconic soul food restaurant on the East Side, died Monday at her home following a lengthy illness. She was 82.
The doors have been open at Mr. and Mrs. G's Home Cooking since July 16, 1990. Garner, who worked regularly in the kitchen until the final few years of her life, was known for baking deserts such as buttermilk and sweet potato pies, banana pudding and cheesecake. Her husband, William, 80, cooked those famous smothered steaks, pork chops, ham hocks, crispy fried chicken and traditional Southern sides. The two were married for more than 30 years.
"She was a mom to the entire community," said Deborah Thomas, her daughter, as she wrapped slices of homemade pumpkin pie in the kitchen. "The people that would come to visit and eat with us, they were family as soon as they walked through the door."
Quisey Temple has worked at Mr. and Mrs. G's for 10 years, his first and only job since moving to the area. He was at a loss for words as he bused tables on Tuesday.
"Everybody is taking it hard," he said. "We're trying our best to push through it."
Garner loved to work the dining area, welcoming customers, wiping down tables and engaging in friendly conversation.
"I didn't even know her name was Addie until today," said Stephanie Lee, who said she eats at Mr. and Mrs. G's about once a month. "She was always just Mrs. G."
Ray Diaz, another customer, said he saw the news on social media "and had to come down here to show our respects. It crushed my heart."
As her health started to decline over the past 12 months, Garner had her home-care provider take her to the restaurant for lunch every day. She sat at the table closest to the serving line. Her final visit to the restaurant was a few weeks ago.
"It will take a while before it all sinks in," Thomas said. "I could always look out the kitchen and see her. She's not there anymore, but her spirit is."
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, who represents the area where Mr. & Mrs. G's is located, said it would be difficult to express how much Garner had benefited the community.
"The last time I was there, she was obviously sick, but I made it a point to go into her office and say hello and let her know how appreciated she is," Calvert said. "They brought respect and attention to an area of town that hadn't gotten a lot of it. Mrs. G was someone who had a tremendous amount of love for people."
Thomas said the restaurant offered jobs to people who might not have found employment otherwise.
"Everybody has to do their part, but they were always welcomed into our family," she said.
The Garners were active members of their church and often cited their faith as the foundation of their success. In a 2000 interview with the Express-News, Addie Garner said: "Once God has something in store for you, I think it just works."
Garner worked for 15 years as a sales representative, but her dream was to open a restaurant with her husband. William grew up in Alabama, and Addie was a Mississippi native, so Southern cuisine was a no-brainer.
"It all started because of her," William Garner said. "We got well known from word of mouth. We didn't have any money for advertising. People from all over started to come because they liked good home cooking. That's what we were. We went from having two people coming for lunch on our opening day to being overcrowded.
"We were a team."
For 27 years, the restaurant at 2222 S. WW White Road has been open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and William Garner said that won't change.
"I'm carrying it on," he said.
Visitation for Addie Garner will be 5-8 p.m. Sept. 20 at Lewis Funeral Home, 811 S. WW White Road. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Sept. 21 at Second Baptist Church, 3310 E. Commerce, followed by interment at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery.
cblount@express-news.net
Twitter: @chuck_blount