OPINION
I have two items in my office that I’m particularly proud to have received.
One is a cutting board in the shape of Texas, and the other is a little knee-buster bat.
Both were crafted by the hands of J.W. Scott.
On Tuesday, I had the honor of attending the funeral of J.W. and his sweetheart, Betty Scott.
Their nephew, Bill Davis, who officiated the funeral spoke about inspiration and how they inspired their family, friends and those who got to know them with their love and dedication to each other, to their family and to their community.
I can say honestly that they inspired me.
It was my honor almost three years ago to tell a tiny part of J.W. and Betty’s story.
I got to sit and talk with them at their kitchen table about how they fell in love, the way that they raised their family and the way that they just kept going for each other for the 63 years of their shared life.
They set a powerful example for their family and the people who knew them, and for the way their kids and grandkids are continuing to serve and to honor their memory.
I particularly loved the way Betty had described J.W. that was shared at the service.
Their daughter Laurie Clement said her mom told her that J.W. made her laugh daily and that he supported her in everything she wanted to do professionally and in serving the community. I saw that loving support that he gave and the mutual devotion to each other that was clear from just a relatively short chat about their life together.
On the cards given out Tuesday, the family said, “Betty and J.W. shared the Great American Love Story—63 years of unwavering devotion. He was her John Wayne. … J.W. respected Betty like a queen, and Betty loved J.W. with her entire being.”
I’m so sorry to see two such wonderful people gone, and I know their family misses them tenderly.
However, it’s a beautiful legacy that J.W. and Betty leave behind.
Theirs is the kind of love story that deserves to be preserved and shared, and I’m grateful they were only apart for two days at the end.
And I’m so grateful I’ll have that reminder of them and the love they shared every time I look at that bat.
Abigail Bardwell is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal. She can be reached at aallen@postsignal. com.
