Hermine "Maria" Pitard, 78, of Searcy, passed away Sunday, May 7, 2023. She was born March 9th, 1945, in Auerbach, Germany to the late Karl and Elisabeth Dümler Hofmann. Maria was brought up in a devout faith-based community where the family was very involved in her local Catholic Church. Her faith and the church always remained one of the most important parts of her life.

Growing up Maria took an interest in the latest fashions, hairstyles, music and anything and everything American. She had very close relationships with her classmates and friends that lasted until her passing. After graduation she commuted daily to Bayreuth, Germany where she took classes in typing and secretarial work.

During this time, she met and married James Tarleton "Toddy" Pitard, Sr. who was stationed at the US Army base in Grafenwöhr, Germany. Maria and Toddy moved to the United States, El Dorado, AR in 1965 when she was age 20, where she met her new family, raised her 3 children, joined and attended Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and worked very hard to obtain her citizenship. Her first job was as a secretary with Arkla Gas in El Dorado where she worked until retirement.

Maria learned to sew while young and enjoyed making clothes for herself and her children. She loved nature and the beauty of our world and sought to preserve the good things in life. Spending time with her grandchildren, and great grandchildren were some of her most precious times. Her grandchildren have shared so many special memories of Grandma Maria and Oma, as she was known to them. Taking long walks, photography, feeding the ducks and even braving a ride in the car with her granddaughter when she received her first driver's license. She enjoyed traveling back to Germany as much as she could to visit her sister, brother, and their families as well as many friends, nieces, nephews and cousins. She was very blessed to have just returned from a trip to be with her family there one last time.

The family would like to thank the staff at Baptist Springhill ICU and United and Lufthansa Airlines for taking such good care of our mother in her last days.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her grandson, Kenneth Lee Smith, Jr. and brother, Hans Joseph Hofmann.

Those left to cherish her memory and to miss her dearly are her children, Toddy Pitard, Jr. (Amanda), Robert Pitard (Crystal) and Maria Pitard Southall (Michael); seven grandchildren, Kylea, Carson, Brette, Brennan, Briley, Brooklin and Braeden Pitard; siblings, Otto Hofmann (Treudel) and Hedwig Kleinoder (Helmut), both of Germany, as well as many extended family members and friends from Germany and the United States.

Service information will be added here as it becomes available. Arrangements by Moore's Cabot Funeral Home, 501-843-5816.