Mary Jane Graham, 73, of Benton, Illinois, passed away peacefully at 8:00 pm April 30, 2021 at her residence and surrounded by her children. Mary Jane was an entrepreneur who began her business adventures after co-founding the beloved Mt. Vernon restaurant, Bonanza, in 1975 with her then husband, Eugene Tolka. They went on to open a second establishment in Centralia, IL. This was only the start of her journey in the food service industry as she then proceeded to manage the kitchens in the District 80 school district before purchasing The Buzz coffee shop in Benton, IL. Mary Jane had an array of pastimes including but not limited to: being an avid reader, a patron of the arts, a member of the Elks Lodge, a member of the local garden club, and book club. She loved vacationing with her late husband, Gary Graham, photography, cooking, baking, enjoyed nature, and was a retired board member from Crossroads Community Hospital.
A Gathering of Family and Friends will be held Saturday, May 15, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm at the Schweinfurth House at Cedarhurst in Mount Vernon, Illinois. Memorials may be made in Mary Jane’s honor to American Breast Cancer Foundation. Please remember to observe social distancing at this time. Following the CDC and NFDA regulations, we encourage everyone to wear a mask. They will be made available, upon request. Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.
Mary Jane is survived by her children, Cory Tolka and wife, Leslie of Odin, Illinois; Travis Tolka and wife, Kiev of Raleigh, North Carolina; Jayna M. Barrett and husband, Bobby of Sparta, Illinois; step daughter, Brittanie Graham of Nashville, Tennessee; grandchildren, Alli, Darian, Mattox, Eli, Elana, Asyria, Ieisha, Christopher, and Gabriel; and eight great-grandchildren.
She was born November 16, 1947 in Centralia, Illinois to the late William A. and Virginia (Godbey) Rappolee. Mary Jane married Eugene Tolka (1965). She later married Gary Graham (1993). They both preceded her in death. In addition to her parents, Mary Jane was preceded in death by her grandson, Michael; great-grandchildren, William, Audree, and Aubree; and siblings, Jim, Gordon, Janet, Alice.
