Alejandrina H. Barrientes

Alejandrina (Hernandez) Barrientes, lovingly known as Cane or Connie, was born on February 9, 1940, in Mercedes, Texas—a place she proudly called home for all 86 years of her life. On the morning of Monday, March 23, 2026, she left her earthly body and entered her heavenly home.

She was the second of five daughters born to the late Elias Hernandez and Natividad Reyes.

At just 12 years old, the good news of Jesus Christ reached her home, and from that moment on, her life was never the same. Jesus became the center of her heart, and her faith would shape every part of her life. Alongside her sisters, she began singing hymns in church, traveling to district events, and growing in a faith that would carry with her for the rest of her life.

Alejandrina became a devoted member of the Church of the Nazarene, where she didn’t just attend—she served. And if there was a role to fill, chances are she filled it. Pianist, steward, secretary, treasurer, children’s church leader, youth leader, Sunday School teacher, president of the Missionary Department… and yes, even a bus driver. She didn’t wait to be asked. If something needed to be done and she had a few minutes, she was already on it.

She taught herself to play the piano through correspondence courses and picked up the accordion along the way. She organized Christmas and Easter plays, made costumes by hand, sang in cantatas, and drove teenagers to camps, serenades, and just about anywhere they needed to go. If the church doors were open, Cane would be there, rain or shine, right on time.

On June 11, 1966, she married the love of her life, Vicente “Chente” Barrientes, and together they built a life rooted in faith, hard work, and love. She didn’t just become a wife; she became a trucker’s wife. And not long after, a truck driver herself. She learned to drive big rigs and haul crops across Texas and beyond, right alongside her husband.

One year later, they became Mami and Papi to their firstborn and only son, Saul, and later welcomed their daughters, Abby and Betsy.

Cane somehow managed it all: full-time mother, truck driver, homemaker, and faithful servant in her church, and made it look effortless. She woke up before the crack of dawn and didn’t stop until after dusk. And through it all, she never complained. She read her Bible daily, kept Christian radio playing in the background, and found joy in the simple things: sewing clothes for her family, coloring, and working on jigsaw puzzles. Everything she did, she did with love.

In 1994, she and Chente stepped into one of their favorite roles, Grandma and Grandpa “Papi”. Their world grew even bigger with the arrival of their four grandchildren: Briana, Kimberly, Benjamin, and Emily. They loved every part of it. The accomplishments, the chaos, and yes, even the naughtiness. And they loved their grandchildren the same way every time: fully, freely, and without hesitation. Distance didn’t matter. They would drive over 1,000 miles one way just to be there…to show up, to support, and to love.

Cane and Chente did everything together. They built a life side by side, mile by mile, child by child, memory by memory. Through every season, God was faithful to them, and they remained just as faithful to Him.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Vicente “Chente” Barrientes; her parents, Elias Hernandez and Natividad Reyes; her sister, Natividad de la Fuente; her aunt, Ramona Reyes; and her grandmother, Sofia Aguilar.

Left to cherish her memory are: her children, Saul Barrientes; Abby (Raul) Gascon; and Betsy Barrientes (Troy Flatley); her grandchildren, Briana and Kimberly Flatley, and Benjamin and Emily Gascon; along with Julio Gascon, Vanessa (Antonio) Guarcas-Gascon, Cynthia (Gerado) Alarcon, and Sam Gascon; her sisters, Rosa Quiroga, Elida Hernandez, and Mary Ann Tripp; sisters in law, Maria Alvarez and Ninfa Barrientes, along with numerous nieces and nephews, and other relatives.

Alejandrina leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured—one of faith, service, resilience, and unconditional love. She leaves a deep space in the hearts of her family, her sisters, nieces, nephews, children, and especially her grandchildren. But more than anything, she leaves behind a way of living. A life that showed up without being asked, a love that gave without limit, and a faith that never wavered.

Her footprints are not only deep, they are worth following. And while our hearts will always wish for more time, we find peace in knowing she is exactly where she always longed to be…home.