Virginia Royston Scott
Virginia Royston Scott, 92, died Saturday (July 11, 2009) at
Medicalodge of Eudora.
She was born on Dec. 12, 1916, in Newton to Benjamin Amos
and Ella Royston. They preceded her in death.
She attended Newton schools and graduated from Newton High
School in 1935.
She was a 1939 graduate of Kansas State University and a
member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She later earned her master's degree
from Wichita State University.
She taught for 26 years, and 22 of them were in the Newton
school district. She was a Title 1 reading teacher at Chisholm Middle School
and Sunset and Roosevelt elementary schools. She initiated special reading
programs that were implemented district-wide. She retired in 1982 from the
Newton school district.
She married John N. Scott on Sept. 22, 1940, in Bentonville,
Ark. They were married 34 years. Her husband died on July 3, 1975.
Virginia was very active in the community and First United
Methodist Church of Newton. She proudly served as the president of the United
Methodist Women, participating in varied circles, setting up a bereaved
committee, and teaching children in Sunday school and Vacation Bible School.
She was affiliated with and past president of the
Association for Childhood Education International and the Delta Kappa Gamma
honorary teachers society, and she was past president of the Newton Area
Retired Teachers Association. She also was a member of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, Newton Fine Arts Association, Junior Themian Club,
National Education Association and the Newton Jaycee Jaynes.
Her most involved civic project was when she served as vice
chairwoman of the Newton High School Centennial Celebration. She attended more
than 100 meetings concerning this event and spent endless hours planning and
working for its success. She was voted Newton's Woman of the Year in 1986 by
The Newton Kansan. She also was one of the founding members of the Newton
Senior Center.
She is survived by her son, John Martin Scott of Dallas; two
daughters, Barbara Scott Girard of Lawrence, and Joella Scott Lock of Shell
Knob, Mo.; two sisters, Roberta Shelor of Topeka and Carol Smalley of Newton;
and brother, John (Jack) Royston of Newton. She was blessed with six
grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She also was preceded in death by her sister, Lillian Page.
Visitation is from 1 to 9 p.m. today at Petersen Funeral
Home in Newton. The family will be present to greet friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at
Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.
Memorials have been set up for the following: the Virginia
Scott Scholarship Fund, the reading department of Newton High School, the
Alzheimer's Association and the American Cancer Society in care of Petersen
Funeral Home.
