Trisha Aston

Patricia Hughes Aston was born July 19, 1949 in Vivian, Louisiana, just 30 miles North of Shreveport.   I was the first of 5 children, with 4 boys to follow.  My dad, Neal Hughes, worked for AMOCO and we moved from Vivian to Pampa, TX, then to Oklahoma City, then to Ft. Worth in 1965, for the company.  My mother was Sarah Bailey Hughes and she was a very energetic, strong little woman...all of 5 ft. They moved many more times through the years of working for the oil company , but my last stop was Fort Worth and you will see why later.

I was raised in a very conservative Church of Christ In North Louisiana. The members were nearly all kinfolks of mine, either on my mother's or daddy's side. It was so hot & humid in the summer as the church had no air-conditioning and Mama would take a quart mason-jar of ice water for all of us kids to have a drink.  We had to be very quiet and still for a long sermon and many acappella songs, and we usually ended up in trouble...making for a long drive home. One particular Sunday, one of the matronly aunts just simply fell off the pew in a big pile.  Everyone gasped and the men ran to carry her outside, while the ladies fanned her face.  I was terrified that she had died in church and I don't know for sure what happened except she fainted for some reason.  My family was in church everytime the doors were open and I was raised thinking that this church was the way to Heaven, if you get my drift.

Fast forward a decade or so, and along comes Ronnie Aston, a tall, handsome, young METHODIST.  We went to high school together in Ft. Worth, became engaged and when the subject of church was brought up, well, there was only one choice.  We married in 1967, at my home...avoiding the subject of picking a church.  We did have a Methodist preacher and old friend of Ronnie's family to marry us.  I remember him as so gracious and understanding of my situation and he did insist that we get pre-marital counseling.  I could tell that he saw the big picture.  We lived in the Fort Worth area in our early marriage years, working in the Family Bakery with Ronnie's parents.  I was a cake decorator and Ronnie was a baker for Buddie's Supermarkets.  We rarely went to church during those young fun times, just racing cars and going to parties and movies.  We became self-centered and for the most part, ignored our raising and God.  We lived close to Ronnie's grandparents in Maypearl, TX for about 3 years and that is when Melanie Kay came along and she was a total delight to all the family aunts and uncles.  We made a BIG move to get out of the family business and make our own way.  Ronnie was accepted into the Texas Game Warden Academy and he was off to Texas A & M for a semester.  I stayed behind with Melanie and the grandparents, very alone.  I very seldom went to church.  After Ronnie had become a Game Warden and we had been stationed in Colorado City, TX in June 1973, I began to go to the Church of Christ.  It wasn't long til along came Barbie Renee in 1975, so now we have 2 precious little daughters.  More than once, the elders would ask Ronnie to come to church and of course he always had to "work."  It wasn't too many years that Ronnie decided he did in fact, want to go to church, but he went to FUMC there in town, while the girls & I went to the Church of Christ.  I was working in the TV Cable business, usually more than 40 hours per week. We were thriving & busy, making money & paying bills. It always took all we had to make ends meet.  We struggled to put $5 in the offering plate and we never  considered tithing.   Well, God works in mysterious ways and I believe  he sent  the preacher at the Methodist Church to be my angel.  He explained the Church of England to me & answered all of my questions, over & over.  So in August 1978, I joined the Methodist Church and the girls were baptized.  I had never been to Sunday School or VBS, so I really enjoyed doing all this with my children and their friends.  Don't get me wrong, I was taught the Bible, at home by Mama, with my 4 younger brothers.   But it was much easier to learn in the Sunday School setting and I loved the Young Adult Class, "Seekers" that we became involved in.  I learned that we had alot more to give than we thought.  We are prayerful every year about our tithing. It is such a blessing to give and also receive. Thank you, God. 

We have raised our family in the Methodist Church and been very happy worshiping & serving the Lord here in Brady.  I have to admit there have been times when things would become ho-hum and I would back-slide some.  My attendance has not always been up to par.  My mother died suddenly in 1994 and I was very shocked for a long time.  For 2 years, I mourned heavily to the point of barely existing and going through the motions of daily life.  She was only 63, very active and we visited a lot. 

We moved to Brady in 1991 and Ronnie & I built our house on West 17th Street, close to the race track.  In fact, the race track had just been closed down.  We have been here going on 20-years and love it.  I worked for Larry Smith at the newspaper for my first job in Brady & got to meet lots of folks selling ads.  Barbie was in the 10th grade at Brady High.  Our older daughter, Melanie, was in Texas A & M at the time and I found out talking to Holly that she had a class with Melanie.  Small world!  After that, I worked at the Shannon Clinic & hospital before getting my real estate license.  I did that until I opened our furniture store, Back At the Ranch, in 2002 & recently closed it down this year.  Ronnie & I operate a furniture & house construction business and plan to stay here til the day we die & go to Heaven. See you there!   

My dad is still alive and 81 now and he has remained single for all these years. I got to KNOW my daddy after Mother left us.  We have had many meaningful & long conversations about life and memories.  Along about this time, the Emmaus Community was really rocking & rolling in Brady and I was asked many times to go on a "Walk to Emmaus."  I resisted over & over.  Too much hand raising & silly stuff for me, I thought. My husband went & then I felt left out.  I know, you just can't please me.  I reluctantly signed up & off to Kerrville I went.  My Walk on #611 was OK. My daughter, Barbie, was also on that same Walk.  And one of my best friends and now a sister-in-Christ. What a joy on both those counts.  But over the following months and years, as I worked on some Walks, I began to have a spirit-filled epiphany every now & then and I would cry & laugh and yes, raise my hands & sing at gatherings.  My relationship with Christ is definitely a JOURNEY filled with family and friends.  Also with friends who have become family.  We are a church family at FUMC Brady.  I love this Church and am honored to be a member of God's army here.  I have served as a Sunday

School teacher, VBS helper, members of several committees over the years, BBQ chairperson and I love it all. I think the BBQ is a good example of church. It provides food, fellowship, outreach, hard work, money for missions and blessings for us all in Jesus' name. 

I enjoy our home and church life in Brady.  We have 13 acres to look at and do a little gardening, rocking on the porch and swimming with the grandkids.  We love to travel in the U.S. and have future plans for seeing the Northwest.  We love to go Jeeping with our friends and we are members of the Cotillion Dance Club.  We enjoy BBQ's, including the annual Goat Cook-Off on Labor Day Weekend.  We do spend a good deal of time in East Texas to visit my dad and Ronnie's mother, who is 92.  I have been blessed with wonderful parents, husband, 2 children & 4 grandchildren. 

Our oldest grandson, Harrison, is 12 and will be confirmed next month.  I believe our other grandkids, Jackson & Sarah, both 10 and little Madelyn, 4 will follow-suit and be outstanding Christians.  I think it's amazing that God has set me down in the Heart of Texas amidst all you good people, bluebonnets & hills. In His name, Trisha Aston