Elizabeth "Betty" Jane Hull Roberts' Obituary
Elizabeth “Betty” Jane Hull Roberts died peacefully on January 24, 2016. She was 79. After a private graveside ceremony, a memorial service will be at 1:30pm on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, at First Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, with the Rev. David English presiding. Arrangements are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home.
Born June 17, 1936, Betty was the first child of Nola Murray and David Carlock Hull. She was preceded in death by her husband, Meredith Earl Roberts, Jr., her parents and in-laws Meredith Earl Roberts, Sr. and Myra Lynn Ray Roberts.
Betty was born in Kingsport, TN. She and her family moved to Longview in 1950. Betty graduated from Longview High School in 1954, Baylor University with a B.A. in Education 1957 and attended the University of Texas at Austin for post graduate school. She and Earl married on August 30, 1958; they moved back to Longview in 1960 and she taught briefly for Longview ISD and then for an additional 5 years at Mozelle Johnston Elementary School.
On April 4, 2002, Betty received her second chance in life by receiving a heart transplant 7 months after entering the hospital. She received this miracle at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston Texas, which was documented in the Longview News-Journal’s series of articles entitled “A Heart for Betty”. The average life of a transplanted heart is 10 years. Betty persevered by living almost 14 years. This journey would not have been successful without the diligent care of her former husband, Earl Roberts, the loving care, support, and motivation from her many friends and family. This struggle was made easier with the navigation of Dr. Frank Jackson, Dr. Michele Satori of St. Luke’s, and Mitch Kemp with Encompass Home Healthcare.
Service to her community was always of high value as she was a member of First Baptist Church, member and past president of the Junior League of Longview, Four Season’s Garden Club, and the Gregg County Lawyers Wives. She was a member of the Board of Trustees for Crisman School. She was an active member of various clubs such as Ivy League Garden Club, Volume XV Book Club, and Junior Literary Club.
Survivors include her children, Murray Earl Roberts, David Hull Roberts and wife, Amanda Kuhlman Roberts, all of Longview, Texas; grandchildren, Laura Catherine Roberts, Murray Wythe Roberts, Cameron Elizabeth Roberts, Jonas Kuhlman Roberts, and Meredith Ann Roberts; brother, David C Hull, Jr. and wife, Stormy, of Houston; sister-in-law, Claire Roberts English and husband, Gayle, of Longview; brother-in-law, James Franklin Roberts and wife, Judy, of Dallas.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Earl Roberts, Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund at LeTourneau University or the Junior League of Longview Scholarship Fund. Betty’s second chance at life was only made possible through the generous donation of an organ donor. Please consider becoming an organ donor and registering to provide someone else with a second chance in life.
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