Wilbern A. Scott

Wilbern Areland Scott, 82, passed away peacefully at home in Austin on August 22, 2010. Wilbern was born on October 8, 1927, to Herbert William and Ada Chisholm Scott in Littlefield, Texas. They moved to South Austin when he was one year old. He graduated from Austin High School in 1945.

He honorably served his country in the Korean War in the Navy as a Radioman Second Class, USN-1. Upon discharge he attended school in Port Arthur, Texas, to achieve his engineering associate degree in television. Wilbern’s (“Scotty” as he was called at KTBC) career was with Channel 7 KTBC during the formative years of television. He was with KTBC for 34 years.

On April 11, 1953, he married Grace Bohls at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Pflugerville. They lived in San Diego, California until Wilbern was discharged from the Navy. They lived in Port Arthur, Texas, while he attended school and had one child there. Upon graduating from school they moved to Austin, Texas, and had two more children. They joined St. John’s Lutheran Church and have been members for 54 years. He was a member of the Building Committee, which was responsible for building St. John’s Lutheran Church on Ben White Boulevard. He maintained the sound system for the church ever since the church was built. Wilbern and Grace were happily married for 57 years.

His hobbies include fishing, listening to music, being a Scout Leader for the Boy Scouts of America at St. John’s Lutheran Church, taking family vacations across the United States, camping at the lake in the blue van camper and barbequeing.

Wilbern is survived by his wife Grace; three children: Beverly Stein and husband Larry, Keith Scott and wife Marsha, and Carol McGuire and husband Jeffery; seven grandchildren: Brandon Linder and wife Amy, Michelle Ward and husband Mark, Tyler Scott, Matthew Scott and wife Marsha, Jonathan McGuire, Benjamin McGuire, and Iris McGuire; five great-grandchildren: Destiny Linder, Emily Linder, Maxton Ward, Taylor Linder, and Baby Ward.

Visitation will be held 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Friday, August 27, 2010 at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home, 2620 South Congress Ave. The funeral service will be held at 10:00 am at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 409 West Ben White Blvd. Interment will follow at Forest Oaks Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church, 409 West Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas 78704.

“Grounded”

A Poem by Wilbern A. Scott

April, 1998

The irony of life is like a sea turtle being born under ground. Digging. digging, working, working. Getting married, digging, working, having a family, digging, working, working, until at last reaching out of the ground. Looking around at all the beautiful things of the world, and wishing you could do all those beautiful things, but you are too old and tired to anything. You get sick, you die, and are put back into the ground. The beautiful thing of it all, is that someday you will arise from the earth and fly and soar above the earth and heavens never again to be grounded. Hallelujah, Hallelujah!