Born right here in  Bastrop Memorial hospital, I am a Bastropian through and through. From shopping as a child at Winns and Super S, to when Walmart was not super and every thing but the Oyster Bar was shut down in this town by 8 Pm.... I have lived and loved Bastrop County my whole life. 

I have lived in Cedar Creek since it was a one stop sign town. The town consisted of Cedar Creek Store which held our post office and Betty's Burger Barn, owned and operated by my grandmother, Betty Purvis. My Mother , Brenda Cox worked for the school district, and that means you never knew where she was going to be so best be on your best behavior and if you grew up in a small town everyone's Momma was your Momma so make good choices. My Dad, Cecil Cox, was a truck driver, he hauled cattle from local ranches, picked up from sale barns across Texas and spent his later years hauling liquid base asphalt. 

My sister Betty Cox, married to David Faz, and I are very close. We often get mistaken for one another and get asked if we are twins. She gave me my mini me niece Paisley Faske. Paisley is a senior at Cedar Creek this year. She is active in Rockne 4-H as the President and Sweetheart, this year she is showing goats and has taken on a show steer.  

I am a 2002 graduate of Bastrop High School. Go Bears! In high school I was a member of FFA, and showed market chickens. My husband, Tracy (Stedo) Gonzales and I started dating in 2004. Tracy is also a Bastrop native and Bastrop alumni. His family came to Bastrop in the very early 1900's to work in the coal mines, You can visit the Bastrop County Historical Society Museum where Vidal Soza, his  Grandfather, is showcased in the Phelan coal mine exhibit.  

In 2007 Tracy and I welcomed our only child in to the world. Our son, Bryden, is a 2025 Cedar Creek High School graduate. He will follow in his father's career path and join him at the City of Austin Water Utility Department.  During Bryden's school years we spent many afternoons and Saturdays at the fields whether it was a baseball, soccer or football field.  As Bryden entered high school his focus became rodeo and we dedicated weekends to traveling across central Texas and making memories.  We raised our son on hard work and traditional values, with the same hometown fellowship his father and I both grow up with.

Family time is where we invest our hearts. We are very family oriented and spend as much time as we can together. 

As a Bastrop native, I miss our small hometown but also enjoy the convenience the growth has brought. The expansion of our town has no end in sight and I am excited to watch it continue to flourish.