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Gary resident committed to helping others

By Chas Reilly - chas.reilly@nwi.com, (219) 662-5324 | Posted: Monday, January 11, 2010

GARY | Linus Scott always has been dedicated to his family, work and to helping others.

"Whatever he was involved in, he gave his all," Scott's daughter Dr. Karen Jones said.

The 99-year-old Gary resident's devotion to others has helped him become a nominee for the annual Drum Major Award, which is presented by the Gary Frontiers Service Club.

Scott worked as a Pullman railroad car porter for 35 years. He enjoyed the job, and sometimes worked in cars that hauled soldiers across the country.

He also worked for Sante Fe Railway and Amtrak after the Pullman Co. closed. Scott's commitment to his job resulted in him missing only one day of work during his career, his daughter said.

The travel involved with working as a Pullman porter meant Scott had to spend some time away from his wife, Marjorie Scott, and their four children, but "when he got home, it was all about the family," Jones said.

She said she spent so much time with her father that people started calling her "Little Scott."

Scott put his children through college and one through medical school, all on a salary of $68 a month.

Jones also is proud of her father's community service, noting he volunteered at the Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary for 25 years.

While at the hospital, Scott would bring a book cart to patients' rooms, and he often visited with patients to cheer them up.

"He has a delightful sense of humor," Jones said.

Scott is a longtime member of St. Timothy Community Church in Gary and attends church "as regularly as he can," Jones said.

His involvement in the church also helped Scott stay active in the community. Scott became involved with Boy Scouts through the church, Jones said. Her father attended many meetings and helped plan various Scout activities, she said.

Scott, was one of nine Hoosiers recognized for their accomplishments in 2008 by Indiana Black Expo at its 39th annual Summer Celebration Governor's Reception.

AWARDS BREAKFAST: The Gary Frontiers Service Club's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast is set for 8 a.m. Saturday. The club has made seven nominations for its annual Drum Major Award, which honors those who have spent more than 30 years working to improve the human condition. The Times will continue to profile the nominees through Friday.

The nominees are: Arthur Hoyle, state Sen. Earline Rogers, Linus Scott, Ella Bush, Charles Deggans, the Rev. R.T. Mitchell and Era Twyman

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