Elizabeth “Betty” Gray Baldwin Luhn

Elizabeth “Betty” Gray Baldwin Luhn died peacefully on January 9, 2018, in Houston, Texas. She was born in the heart of the piney woods of East Texas in Marshall on January 24, 1947, to Clotyne and Gaines Baldwin.

Betty was a graduate of Marshall High School. She went on to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and graduated with a degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She began her career as an English teacher at Marshall High School, and continued her teaching career in Houston at both Lee and Lamar High Schools. While in Houston, she met and married the love of her life, Graham Barton Luhn.

Betty always loved the outdoors, beginning during childhood in Marshall. She loved going on long rides with her horse Traveler. Later, she enjoyed countless hours at her farm “in the country” just outside Brenham where you would find her picking blackberries to make her famous jelly, planting in her garden, or riding her horse Misty. As a lover of learning, she studied under Donald Barthelme, Ed Hirsch and Stanley Plumly in the esteemed Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston where she penned hundreds of poems and short stories. A student at heart, she also studied architecture at the University of Houston Graduate School of Architecture. In addition, she was a licensed Texas Real Estate Broker for four decades. Betty never met a stranger and could charm anyone. It was one of the qualities that people most admired about her. She had joy for life!
She often shared fond memories of her time in the Texas Rose Festival (Tyler), as a member of Campfire Girls, student council, and other activities as a young woman. She was a member of many social and civic organizations in Houston including Pi Beta Phi, Blue Bird Circle, The Junior League of Houston, National Society of Colonial Dames of America, Daughters of the American Revolution, and The River Oaks Blossom Club as well as Fortnightly Club in Brenham. Betty also served as a dedicated member of the Altar Guild at Christ Church Cathedral, where she and Graham were members for many years. She and Graham were also proud founders of Episcopal High School.

Along with her parents, Betty is predeceased by her brother Frank Hadlock. Betty is survived by her husband of 44 years, Graham, her daughters Elizabeth Selzer and husband, John, of Dallas, Texas and Dabney Junell and husband, Mark, of Houston, Texas. She found joy as a grandmother to grandchildren Layne and Charlie Junell, and Graham Selzer. She is also survived by her sister Patty Ramsey of Lexington, Kentucky, brother Pen Baldwin and wife Patty of Marietta, Georgia, sister-in-law Lana Hadlock of Houston, Texas, and brother-in-law, George Luhn of San Antonio, Texas, and her nieces and many nephews whom she loved so much.
The family wishes to thank her many caretakers during the past decade, the team at Houston Hospice, and the devoted clergy at St. Martin’s.

A private burial will take place at Prairie Lea Cemetery in Brenham, Texas. A celebration of Betty’s life will be held at 1:30pm on Friday, January 12, 2018, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Houston, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to The Blue Bird Circle: 615 West Alabama, Houston, TX 77006, or the charity of your choice.


Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, TX 77833. 979.836.3611 Tributes may be shared at www.BrenhamMemorialChapel.com