Ernestina Castillo Arredondo passed away peacefully at her home in Lockhart, TX surrounded by her loving family on April 28, 2017.  

She was born on November 11, 1929 in Kyle, Texas.  She attended Kyle grade school in Goforth, Texas for five years but soon left to help out on the family farm.  Along with her four sisters, she picked and chopped cotton, tended to the chickens, turkeys and cows. She was even known to drive the farm tractor on occasion. She always said living on the farm made going through the depression just a little easier stating that though they lacked many things, they always had food on the table.

She met Blas Torres Arredondo through St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Uhland, Texas, where they both attended.  She sang in the church choir. Blas directed and played the violin in the choir.  They were married in the little church on November 18, 1950.  They lived outside of Lockhart and had four children.  Eventually they moved into Lockhart and started attending St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Soon afterwards, she began working at the Lockhart high school cafeteria, where she stayed for fifteen years, and became well known for her good home cooking.  She made many friends with students, faculty and co-workers while working at the school. Two of her biggest joys were having a house full of family and friends to feed, and having her well known garage sales on Saturday mornings.

Ernestina is preceded in death by her little boy (Blas Jr.), husband (Blas) and parents (Valdo Castillo & Cruz Deleon).  She is survived by her three children: Lupe Herrera and husband Ruben; Maryann Kilgore and husband Richard; Tony Arredondo and wife Norma; six grandchildren – Mary Ann Perez and husband Marvin, Steve Avalos and wife Cathy, Veronica Herrera, Jenna and Cassie Arredondo and Mac Kilgore; five great grandchildren (Briana Avalos, Cole & Cooper Williams, Noah & Elias Perez); four sisters and two brothers.