I had Mrs. Scott for English and journalism when I attended St. James from 91-92. She was a great teacher. I remember talking to her about Fried Green Tomatoes and I remember when she told me that she had finally seen it. I didn't finish the full year because my dad was in the military and we moved to Korea, but I will always remember Mrs. Scott. Although her passing was a couple years ago, I send my sincere condolences to her family.

Mrs. Scott taught me two classes in the 7th grade, about 20 years ago. The first class was English Composition. I had grown up with two grandparents who both taught English, so let's just say I was both enthusiastic and prepared. I quickly learned that Mrs. Scott had a gift for challenging her students. I remember one assignment in particular, she sent us home with a worksheet that had 75 lines on it, and instructions to write down 75 different prepositions (e.g. to, on, about, in, over). I really gave it my all that evening, was dusting off dictionaries and probably searching the internet over my dial-up connection, but in the end I only came up with 73. It's easy to see why learning at that age--with all the challenges of managing 12 and 13 year old kids--often felt rote, but Mrs. Scott made me feel like I was engaging with English, writing, and the business of learning with the same seriousness and intensity as she did. I learned so much in her class (and she was so good at enabling me to dig deeper into the subject, outside the scope of her class) that several years of English classes passed by before I learned anything new about grammar or style.

The second class was an elective called Knowledge Quest. It consisted of me and the other 3 nerdiest boys in our grade doing brainteasers and trying to beat Mrs. Scott in Scrabble. It was a nice break from the noise of 7th grade. Though her classroom was typically dim while shew drew sentence diagrams on an overhead projector, in Knowledge Quest, the lights were on, and I enjoyed searching through her Bev Doolittle prints for hidden faces. I confess I'd struggle now to diagram that last sentence. I still keep up with one of my fellow Knowledge Questers, and Mrs. Scott's class is a fond memory we share.

Thank you, Mrs. Scott.

Scotty and Jimmy,
We were so very sorry to learn of your Mother's passing.  It had been some time since we had talked and we did not know about her most recent health issues.   Her funeral service was special and meaningful.  
Over the past several years your Mother had hoped to have a lunch bunch from the Normandale UMC congregation meet  at The Stockyard.   She will be missed.  
Both of  your parents were special to us and we will remember them fondly.

We are so sorry for your loss.  Mrs. Scott was an incredible teacher and mentor.  She taught both of my girls, and they learned so much from her.  We all loved her! 

I’m so sorry to hear about Martha’s passing.

To our cousin Martha,

Fly high,  and you are in no more pain. Give the family a great big hug from us and specially tell my daddy that I’ll see him one day. You will always hold a special place in my heart. I ❤️ you cousin...


I had the pleasure of having Mrs. Scott for two years in middle school. She was and always will be my favorite teacher. There are several teachers in the world, but there are very few mentors. Mrs. Scott ,by all accounts, was the latter. She greeted all of her students everyday with a smile, and she truly made an impact on every individual she met. I, like many others, will miss her dearly.

My son was so lucky to have Mrs. Scott as his 7th- and 8th-grade grammar teacher. He simply adored her.  She was one of the best teachers he ever had: tough, caring, charismatic, and brilliant. 

She will be dearly missed and cherished always. 

Jamie Fields

There are not enough words to describe how much Martha Scott meant to me over the years at Saint James School. Martha was my friend and my mentor -she taught me so much about what it meant to be an exceptional teacher and educator! Martha was so smart and her work ethic was stronger than any I have known. She was the first to arrive and the last to leave almost every day at school-she was the one we leaned on when seeking advise or help. She was dependable, innovative, and always looking for ways to help those around her-young and old. Martha  was always learning and always growing in her profession. Martha’s students absolutely loved her and respected her immensely! They always came back to see her after middle school because they valued what she had taught them and how much she cared. She held her students to very high standards and it was always so exciting for Martha to see her students reach their potential. She taught all of us so very much and we are who we are today because of her positive influence. Scotty and Jimmy,  I know you are so very proud of the legacy Martha leaves behind -she was a wonderful, wonderful friend and teacher to many. She will be greatly missed.

Martha was a wonderful teacher and always a joy to work with.  When I remember her I see her always smiling! My prayers are with you!
God bless you!


Martha was a joy to be around.  She loved teaching, her students and families, St. James School, her husband and sons.  I was blessed to call her and Eddie my friends.  She impacted dosny lives.  She will be missed.  She and Eddie are reunited.  My deepest sympathy to her family.

After scrolling through the photos of the lovely Mrs. Scott, I got to see a glimpse into her life outside of the classroom. I can see she had a great relationship with her family and faith. 

I’ll never forget Mrs. Scott. I’ll never forget her sweet, yet strong, personality. I’ll never forget her love for her students. She is, and will forever be, one of the most memorable teachers for so many students. Rest easy, Mrs. Scott. I hope I didn’t make any grammatical mistakes in my post! 

Mrs. Scott was the most influential teachers I was blessed to have during my days at Saint James. She loved her students and she was loved back. Thank you for everything you taught us, we’ll never be able to repay you. 

Jimmy and Scotty, my love and prayers are with you.  Your mother was a special lady, a dear friend, and one of the most devoted teachers I have ever known.  I so enjoyed our times together as teachers at Saint James School and at the Alabama Institute for the Arts.  May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times  together as you celebrate a life well-lived!    Love, Kay Newman

My sincere sympathy to Jimmy and Scotty. Martha was my dear friend. Always so well put together in classic style; always willing to help her fellow teachers; always going the extra mile for her students.   This true Southern lady was loved by many.  

OBITUARY

Martha Claire Scott

August 2, 1940 – January 19, 2020

Leak Memory Chapel

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