Mother, Shirley Ruth Hinton Scott: 12/12/28 to 05/09/18
Let me tell you about a little girl who was born on December 12, 1928, to David Wesley and Ruth Hinton, on Galveston Island. No one knew she would face death and tragedy several times during her almost nine decades of life. No one knew then the tenacity and determination this little girl possessed.
In 1st grade she contracted what the doctor termed Trench Mouth, which turned into Rheumatic Fever. She remembered the doctor’s daily house calls and shots, especially one where the doctor informed her parents she probably would not make it through the night. She did, but had to learn how to crawl, sit, stand, and walk again. She was left with a ‘leaky valve’ in her heart.
During her young life she lost two of her four brothers before their 2nd birthday.
She met her future husband, Melvin Ray Scott, at a church beach party in 1946. She graduated from Ball High in 1947, and married Melvin on September 17 of that year. After a couple of miscarriages she bore their first child, a girl, and then two boys about five years later.
The three Scotts lived in Galveston for a few years and then moved to the Mainland . . . Dickinson . . . into a house they fondly referred to as the scorpion house. Mother heard her daughter tossing and turning in bed one night only to find one trying to stay warm close to her daughter.
They moved ‘uptown’ close to the primary school where the family grew to five, then purchased a piece of land, built a home, and Shirley came into her own. Her family was her priority but that did not keep her from developing a myriad of interests and pursuits that she would be know for by all she touched.
At the core of every new adventure was her deep belief in her Creator’s plans for her. Every talent she developed was used to enrich another person’s life.
She learned how to can and freeze the garden’s produce the family did not consume, ‘caught’ Dad’s first bee hive in a cardboard box under a tallow tree on their property, milked their cow, Milky Way, chased her wayward calf, Junior, down the street prior to his being taken to the butcher, made butter, bread, and whatever else our family needed. She made shirts and underwear out of the feed sacks they bought to feed the cows.
She patiently taught her daughter and others how to sew on buttons, hem a dress, sew straight seams, then curves and gathers, buttonholes and zippers, and took her to piano and dance lessons and recitals. Anything worth doing was worthy of doing right. She taught her how to cook on a budget, crochet, hang laundry on the clothesline, iron diapers, pillowcases, handkerchiefs, etc., make a bed with square corners, organize things and time, pack more items into any given space than anyone thought possible, and remember that people are more important than things.
Mother went to cosmetology school and became a beautician, having her own beauty shop for a time.
She became a midwife, traversing Houston’s roads at all hours of the night.
When someone had a health need, she organized whatever help they needed . . . food, visits, running errands, or just sitting with them.
She learned how to quilt, decorated cakes, sang in the choir, performed solos, played the organ and piano, helped others with their budgets, worked in the registrar’s office at COM, took art classes, made greeting cards, learned Brazilian Embroidery, ribbon art, needlepoint, knitting, ran a daycare, fixing their meals and driving the bus, had a daycare in her home, and managed a Dairy Queen.
When Dad was on bed rest and traction for about a year, not only did she take care of their three children but also waited on Dad hand and foot.
She took care of her own mother in her final years, months, and days.
She was dorm mother, menu planner and chief cook for church camp at Mohawk in Alvin. Helping Hands and Hearts, which she headed, provided crocheted cotton hats for burn victims and afghans for children at Boys and Girls Harbor.
When she found a family member needed food and it was the Sabbath, the ‘ox in the ditch’ rule kicked in and their needs were met.
She loved to travel, with kids, grandkids and friends. On one trip to Sea World, her son-in-law parked close so she did not have to walk far, telling the attendant his mother-in-law had a wooden leg. Tony asked Mom to limp when she got out.
She developed osteoporosis early because of an early total hysterectomy. Broken ribs and other bones were not uncommon. She battled thyroid, digestive issues, and hiatal hernia.
During a bout of shingles she contracted viral encephalitis, was again near death, but defied the odds. After weeks of rehab she returned home only to find that her weakened state seemed to have accelerate the Parkinson’s disease that had already begun. She struggled to continue her art.
After rotator cuff surgery, pain meds and inattentive medial care allowed development of a blockage and for 21 days she had no food or water, surviving on IV and finally a pic line for some nutrition. Again defying the odds she recovered.
During her final years of decline she never let on about her pain, but those who knew her well saw it written on her face. Her words were always about others who needed help.
She mentioned to Ryann (one of her dear caregivers) that she could donate their table and chairs to someone who needed one after Harvey. Dad always ate on a TV table, so why not?
She worried about Tammy (another dear caregiver) after their house had several feet of water.
When people visited she always made sure to thank them for their visit and told them to be careful driving home.
When her visiting daughter would head home she reminded her to call so they knew she arrived safely.
She had a great sense of humor and never hesitated using it. When playing Chicken Foot not too long ago her daughter said, ‘Ooh, Mom I can see your dominoes.’ Mom responded, ‘I’m still going to beat you.’ And she did.
Mother . . . 89 FULL years!