Mark and Gretchen were married on September 12, 1987. The first 7 years of their marriage they both served in their local church until Mark was called into ministry. Gretchen always knew that she would marry someone in ministry because she loved it so much, and she found that with Mark.

Mark served in church work for over 25 years. During that time, Gretchen stayed home with their 3 daughters and served in several capacities in their church.  

After living and serving in California for years, God called them back to Texas and out of their local church to go into marriage ministry with Gretchen’s family. For 6 years, Mark and Gretchen were passionate about helping people build strong marriages and giving tools to help people through life’s trials. Together they helped save and restore many marriages.  

Unexpectedly, in October 2018, Mark was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a cancer of the brain. Their world was completely rocked. After 2 ½ years of battling this disease, Mark lost his battle with glioblastoma on April 8, 2021. 

Gretchen knew after Mark passed that God had something for her. But what? She knew what she needed and it was hard to find. She needed to connect with other women who were in the same situation. So began a season of prayer and searching to find out what God had. That ministry is Ashes Into Beauty and it is for those who are widows. 

Mark & Gretchen

Mark, Gretchen & their daughters, Meagan, Marissa & Malory

Gretchen, her daughters, sons-in-love and her greatest loves, her grandchildren

FAQ’s

  • Ashes Into Beauty is a non-profit ministry for those women who are now on a journey they never wanted to be on…widowhood. Not a word I thought I would use at 54 but 3 years later, here I am.

    After my husband passed, I looked for a widow’s support group and there wasn’t really one I could find, at least where I lived. That got me to thinking about what I needed and wanted at that time.

    First, I would have loved:

    -A place to get away to and just try to breathe; to cry and grieve and try to gather myself back together

    -A place that had someone I could talk to who knew, for the most part, what I had just experienced

    -A place to figure out my next step

    -A place that was not only a beginning to the healing process but also a place of encouragement for my new journey

    That is what I would have loved. No matter how long it has been since the passing of your husband, we all need someone, who at the core, understands us.

    Second, I wanted a group to meet with on a regular basis to:

    -Meet other women who are going through the same as me

    -Be able to talk to when I need some encouragement

    -Talk to when things are not going well but you really can’t explain why

    -Talk to someone who understands the little things that make you excited but also sad at the same time

  • This ministry will include but not be limited to:

    -A place for any widow to come and take a few days to get encouraged and rejuvenate

    -A place for those who are local to DFW to gather together once a month for fellowship

    -A Zoom meeting quarterly to encourage each other and get to know each other

    -2 yearly retreats; One in the Spring and one in the Fall (TBD in person or Zoom)

    -For those local…field trips that are easy to do in a day

    Topics that will be discussed are: (there will be more added as we go along and I get feedback on what you would like to discuss)

    -Accepting the Loss

    -Sleeping

    -Holidays

    -Guilt for surviving; moving forward

    -How to move forward

    -Grief

    -House maintenance/How Do I Find Help/I Have To Do What

    -Loneliness

    -Family Help

    -Special Occasion Days

    -Finding and Keeping Joy

    -Dealing With Anger/Sadness/Bitterness

    -Finances

    -Worship Songs/Verses

    -Friends/New and Old

    -Secondary Losses

    -Year One vs Year Two vs Forever

    -What To Do on Anniversary of Death

    -Taking Care of Yourself

    -Health

    -Church/Small Group

    -Embracing Singleness/New Identity

    -What I expected the future to be vs what it is…expectation vs reality

  • I know not everyone is in the same place or has experienced the same loss. By that I mean that some had a long journey with their spouse being sick before they passed, others had a very short time; some had no time and their spouse was just gone, and for some the loss is in a very traumatic or tragic way. Some have been widows for over 10 years while others have been widows less than a year.

    I want this group to encourages each other because we understand each other. Since we all have different experiences with our loss, yet at the core we understand the loss, it will be important for me to make sure that everyone feels welcome and loved.

    To be a part of this ministry, please fill out the questionnaire at the bottom of the page. You will receive a text or email once your questionnaire is received.

    *If you do not receive a confirmation text or email, please send a text to (909) 213-8314. We know that sometimes emails get lost in the delivery and we don’t want to miss anyones. Thank you!