Martha Lu Wetzel

Martha Lu Bryan Wetzel passed away September 26, 2022.

Before her death, Martha wrote this autobiographical sketch to share:

Born in Houston, Texas on April 18, 2934, I am a third generation Houstonian. My grandfather had an automobile business on the corner of McKinney & Main, where the old Lamar hotel was located. I was raised in the Montrose area and lived my entire life not more than 3 miles from where I was born. I attended public schools here in Houston: Montrose, Lanier, Lamar, and graduated from San Jacinto having transferred there at mid-term my junior year in order to be a snare drummer in the Golden Gaucho drill team.

After graduating from North Texas State University in 1952, I came back to Houston to do what I wanted to do from the time I was born: to teach children. I began my teaching career in 1959 at MacGregor Elementary, teaching 45 students in the sixth grade. The next year I was moved to Peck for a half year, then the opening of a new school, Kolter Elementary, in Meyerland, where I taught 6th grade until it was moved to the middle school. I taught 5th grade a year, got a transfer, and finished my teaching career at Pershing Middle School. I was devoted to my students and found my teaching experience very rewarding.

All the time I taught, I was doing my second-favorite thing, acting and singing in Christ Church Cathedral Choir. I met my beloved husband, Edward, at Theater, Inc., in 1959, in the play Once Upon A Mattress. For many years we acted on stage together, performed for various functions together, and were clowns for more than 30 years in the Foley’s Thanksgiving Day parades. After the parade, we would always go to the Texas Children’s Hospital and visit the children. Since we had no children, we were dog lovers and enjoyed our pets as though they were our ‘children’.

After my teaching retirement, Ed decided we should put in an application for H-E-B, which was going to open on the corner of Montrose & Westheimer, within walking distance. We did put in an application and I got the job and he didn’t. I worked for H-E-B and then moved to Central Market, where I had a wonderful ‘boss’ and met many wonderful people. I enjoyed our time with the store but was forced to stop that line of work due to colon cancer.

I enjoyed ringing handbells with the First Presbyterian Church and St. John the Divine. I have had a wonderful affiliation with Chapelwood Methodist Church, where I have been a member for many years since moving to The Buckingham Retirement Community.

                Martha Lu Wetzel is preceded in death by a very loving mother and father, and Inola Glass Bryan, whose father and brother were Harris County Tax-Assessor/Collectors before Carl Smith, Oswald Cannon Bryan, a Brazoria County man having been born in Angleton, Texas.

                Survivors include three nieces, two nephews, and many great-nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of wonderful friends.

                A private graveside service will be held for family to attend. For those desiring, contributions may be made in Martha’s memory to Chapelwood United Methodist Church of Houston.