Mary Reiter

Mary Elizabeth Cartwright Reiter, also known as Betty Reiter, of Houston and Mexia, Texas was a fourth generation Texan, born August 12, 1926 in San Antonio, Texas to Carl Otto and Margaret Selden Cartwright. Carl Cartwright was a lifelong athlete, completing his career as football coach at Saint Mary�s University. Betty is survived by her husband, William A. Reiter, Jr. and son, William A. Reiter, III and his wife, Cheryl, her son, Daryl Comeaux and her grandson, Kade Comeaux. Betty is also survived by her younger sister, Carla Mae Cartwright Salazar of Houston. The extended family includes Jesse Oscar Reiter and his son, Jesse Oscar Reiter, Jr., Judge P.K. Reiter and wife, Margaret, as well as nieces, Margaret Frances Reiter Cutrer and husband, Richard of Galveston, Lucille Anderson Reiter King and husband, Chris and grandnieces of Houston, Kaye Denning Reiter Fleming and husband, Ryan and grandnephews of Seattle, Washington and nephew, Putnam Ervin Reiter and wife, Josie and grandnephews of Oklahoma City. Two other significant extended families include Margaret O�Rourke Sanders of Mexia and her children as well as Ursula Gusman Lusk of Houston and her children. Betty was a lifelong Episcopalian who loved her church and church family. When the new Christ Episcopal Church, Mexia church building was built in 1991, Betty spent many hours staining and varnishing the rafters. She enjoyed swimming, football, gardening and home decoration. She worked with her husband, sister-in-law and brother-in-law in oil and gas exploration and production as Treasurer of Warrior Resources Inc. of Mexia. Betty�s grandfather, Selden was an early wildcatter in the Liberty and Dayton Fields not far from Beaumont and the early Spindletop discovery. She enjoyed the stories her mother told about the early oil boom days when her mother and Auntie Mae worked as teenage girl roughnecks on their father�s drilling rig. Betty�s death on November 28TH was the result of complications of pancreatic cancer. A service celebrating her life and Holy Eucharist will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at Christ Episcopal Church, Mexia, 505 East Commerce in Mexia. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her memory to Christ Episcopal Church, Mexia and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.