Gratitude for Five Sons and Their Families

Kenneth:  Mary and I are most grateful for these wonderful sons, who have been active in our church programs and have successfully advanced in the Priesthood of our Savior to High Priests. They with their wonderful wives are rearing their children in keeping with the principles of the restored Gospel.

Through their early years, our five sons were encouraged to take music lessons.

Richard on clarinet, Wayne reading, Walt at piano, Gerald on trumpet in Taylor Street home, ca. 1937

In Pocatello, Gerald began taking lessons on the trumpet and became proficient enough to play taps at the burial of a World War I veteran in Kansas City.

Gerald

As previously mentioned, Richard took up the clarinet when he was so small his instructor would hold him on his knees. 

Gerald with trumpet, Richard with clarinet

Walter began piano lessons at an early age with a really fine teacher.

Walter at the piano

Before he graduated from high school he played in numerous recitals, rendering difficult numbers very well. Also he played the string bass very well in advanced orchestras and the tuba in school bands.

Walter's piano recital program, 1938

Wayne took up the trombone and did well with it. Once he won a contest that permitted him to play a duet with Tommy Dorsey, a renowned trombonist. Wayne also played in a number of dance bands with his friends.

Kenneth Wayne Scott

Mitchel took piano lessons but it wasn’t until he was on his full-time mission for our church that he became fully aware of how he could have become more proficient at the piano if he had only practiced more seriously. He received some voice training while attending George Washington University and since then his fine baritone voice has contributed effectively in church singing.

[Sue, Mitchel's wife, shared additional information about Wayne's and Mitch's experiences with music.  
"Wayne was a member of the Metropolitan Police Boys Club Band in Washington DC. He played trombone. Colonel Leon Bruseloff, the ex-Marine conductor came and talked to Mitch (age 12) about learning to play the French horn. He liked the idea and started practicing it. He joined the Boy’s Club Band and the orchestra at Deal Junior High. By the time he graduated from high school, he was the first chair French horn player. He also was a member of the school choir in junior and high school and sang a few solos along the way.

While attending George Washington University, he was a member of the Traveling Troubadours, a special choral group that traveled all over the world singing for troops with the USO. He didn’t go on any of those trips, but was preparing for an engagement they had to sing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City when his mission call came. While he didn’t go on any of those trips, he did sing with the group in a number of concerts including a major Christmas presentation of the Messiah."]

James Mitchel Scott

GERALD
Kenneth:  Before we moved from Kansas City, Gerald had obtained employment there, so he did not return to Washington with us.  It was there he met Betty Lue Endres and ultimately brought into our family that wonderful young lady. 

Gerald LeRoy Scott and Betty Lue Endres

Gerald and Betty, married on Sept. 24, 1949

Mary: Gerald came home to finish college. He also graduated from George Washington University with honors. He went on to become a registered professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Gerald wasn’t called on a mission because it was during the war that he could have gone and the church couldn’t send missionaries out then. While in Kansas City, he met and became acquainted with Betty Lue Endres. Later they were married. Now we had a daughter that we had wanted so very much.

Gerald and Betty with their wedding party; Richard is to the right of Gerald and Walter is on the far right

Betty's parents, William and Lora Endres, Betty and Gerald, and Kenneth and Mary Scott

Kenneth:  After Betty had been a member of our family circle about 13 years, on Mother’s Day, she called Mary and said, “Mother, I have a Mother’s Day gift for you. I was baptized in the L.D.S. Church today.” That was a great joy we always felt would occur because she always lived a truly Christian life.

Betty Lue Endres Scott

RICHARD
Mary:  Richard was awarded a scholarship in engineering at George Washington University. This helped so much because after the war it was so very difficult to get into college. He kept the scholarship the full four years, graduating with honors.

Kenneth: After completing an engineering course at George Washington University, Richard took training in higher mathematics and was sent to Oak Ridge Atomic Engineering complex where he became a nuclear engineer and an assistant to Admiral Hyman Rickover in the development of the Polaris Submarine and finally to a senior responsibility in the nuclear installation in the Navy.

Ensign Richard Gordon Scott in Navy uniform

Richard brought into the family Jeanene Watkins, the wonderful daughter of Senator Arthur and Sister Andrea Watkins. Jeanene has been outstanding in her participation with Richard in doing missionary work. She has an outstanding line of ancestors who were prominent in L.D.S. Church positions.

Jeanene Watkins (right) graduating from George Washington U. with sister Nina and mother Andrea Watkins

Before their marriage and while engaged, Richard served a three-year-mission in Uruguay and Jeanene served an 18 month full-time mission in the Pacific Northwest.

Jeanene, Richard, and Mary on the boat he took to his mission in Uruguay, 1950

Mary:  Time rushes on and Richard returned. It wasn’t long after his return that he and Jeanene Watkins were married at the Manti Temple in Utah. Andrea, Jeanene’s mother, and I chaperoned them to the West. This must be another story sometime....

Richard and Jeanene, married July 16, 1953; Mary and Kenneth (left); Andrea and Arthur Watkins (right)

Jeanene and Richard

WALTER
Mary:  Walter completed high school in Washington, D.C. He was given a scholarship [to George Washington University]. He turned it back because it was in another field. He wanted to major in an electrical engineering field.

Walter Conrad Scott

Kenneth:  After completing his studies at George Washington University, Walter took advanced training under a fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He brought into our family circle June Langston, a charming young lady from Alabama and a faithful L.D.S. girl whose parents and grandparents were faithful L.D.S. members.

Walter and June, married Aug. 5, 1954

Mary: After Walter graduated, he went to work for Westinghouse. He couldn’t go on a mission either. The Korean War was on. But it wasn’t long until our third daughter joined our family, June Langston.

WAYNE
Mary:  Wayne completed his bachelors in Industrial Design after completing two years at George Washington University and the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. On November 20, 1961, he took his bride-to-be, Ann Bassett, to be sealed in the Salt Lake temple.

[Be sure to double click on the photo below to read more about Ann's and Wayne's achievements as young adults.]

Engagement announcement for Ann Bassett and K. Wayne Scott

Kenneth: After spending two years study in the Engineering department at George Washington University, Wayne entered the Kansas University where he completed a degree in Industrial Designing. During this period, he met a lovely member of our Church, Ann Bassett whom he later persuaded to join the Scott clan after he completed his two year mission in the states of California and Washington.

Wayne and Ann, married Nov. 20, 1961

MITCHEL
Mary:  About this time (1961), Mitchel received his missionary call. He had two years in college and his missionary call was to Spanish American Mission headquartered in Texas. He had met Sue Langston, who had been living in Washington with her sister, June, Walt’s wife. They had dated some.

James Mitchel Scott

He received his release and returned to college but he wanted to see Sue again so he visited her in Alabama and it wasn’t long after that we had our fifth daughter, Sue Langston Scott. He returned to college after their marriage. Sue helped him finish with the night classes.

Mitch and Sue, married Nov. 6, 1963, Br. and Sis. Langston; Front, L to R: Mary Lee, Cindy, Steven, and Debbie Scott

Kenneth:  Mitchel took a course in Banking at George Washington University. After completing a successful two year mission in the Spanish-Mexican Mission along the Texas-Mexico border. He took more advanced banking training and started work at the Union Trust Co. of Washington, DC. He learned that June had a younger sister, Sue, and shortly after completing his mission, we had two of Brother and Sister Langston’s wonderful daughter in our family circle.

Mary receives spiritual promptings about her sons
I knew Richard wasn’t going into the army. I was down stairs washing and he came down to tell me good-bye. Well, I said, "You’re not in yet." He said, "Well, Mother I’m going right now on the bus. I think you ought to know that." I said, "I know it." In about two hours became back and he said, "They didn’t take me because the bus was loaded [with volunteers]." And I knew all along that he wasn’t going into the army. I just felt that he couldn’t do it. I’ve had experiences like that quite often.

Mary Eliza Whittle Scott, Dec. 29, 1947

Another time Richard did something I didn’t want him to do....It was a beautiful day in Washington and the sky was clear and blue, extremely pleasant.... He said, “I’m going out swimming.” I said, “Richard, I wish you wouldn’t go out swimming. I just don’t feel good about it.” He said, “Mother, look at the sky. It’s blue and clear and looks good.” He was 19 and I couldn’t say, “You can’t do it.” He was old enough to know his own mind. About an hour after he’d been out, a squall came up--one of those thunder, lightening, and everything else storms. The boat they were in capsized and all their equipment was lost, and if he hadn’t had swimming lessons all summer, he would have drowned...because he was in the rough part of the Potomac River. But he made his way to a rock and pretty soon the officers came and picked him up and brought him in but he lost his equipment--his camera and his clothes. So I’ve had some very definite warnings at times and I’m grateful for them.

Richard remembers this incident:  "The young man I was with became frightened and caused the boat to turn over.  I got him to a rock where he would be safe and righted the canoe so it wouldn't be lost."