Martha Morelock Thorlin

The Bettis family settled in Brown County shortly after the Civil War. When Martha was growing up she enjoyed spending part of her summers there with cousins and friends. She graduated from Ball High School in Galveston and attended the University of Texas, Austin.

Martha left the University to marry Lt. J. Frederick Thorlin on June 26, 1939. She enjoyed many years as an Army wife and always made a special endeavor through the Officers' Wives Club projects to help physically handicapped and mentally disturbed children in the area in which her husband was posted.

In 1965 Martha's husband, Fred, retired from the Army as Major General USA and they moved to Muskegon, Michigan. They found that a very enjoyable experience and over a period of three years as a result of accompanying Fred on his business trips, Martha was able to go around the world. In 1970 they moved to Bryan, Texas where Fred was associated with Texas A & M University. In Bryan, Martha enjoyed working with Girl's Clubs of America and presented with a national award. After building a home in San Antonio, Fred and Martha moved to that city in 1976. Because their three grandchildren lived in Houston it was convenient for their children to come here when they were growing up and Martha enjoyed showing them sights of San Antonio. Martha was an avid gardener and was a member of the Live Oak Garden Club.

Survivors: husband, Maj. Gen. J. Frederick Thorlin; sons, John Frederick Thorlin III, Geoffrey Phillip Thorlin and wife, Pamela, all of Houston, TX; daughter, Lynn Thorlin Moore and husband, W. Ron. Moore, Ft. Worth, TX; grandchildren, Matt Moore, Shelley Cummins and Eric Thorlin, all of Houston, TX; brothers, Steve Morelock and wife, Pamela, Austin, TX and John Morelock and wife, Carolyn, Dallas, TX.