Bill and Lois Scott met on a blind date after he called her twice to set it up, even though he had never seen her or met her.

Bill knew Lois’ sister, the late Phyllis Roose, and thought he would like to meet her sister. Bill’s father worked in tool and die design at Penn Controls and Phyllis worked there in the office at that time.

“We hit it off that first night,” Bill said. They were both members of the Class of 1959, Bill at Goshen High School and Lois at Jefferson.

Bill was assigned the job of playing Santa Claus the first year they were together. Lois said he was quite a figure, as a 6-foot, 3-inch, 140-pound Claus.

They were married May 2, 1966, at Little Pine Church and moved to their first home, a duplex at Harrison and Division street.

They have lived their entire married life within a two-block area on Goshen’s west side. Their second home was on Division Street and in 1971 they bought their current home from the widow of former Fire Chief Dan Ganger at 313 N. Indiana Ave.

The Scotts raised a daughter, Anita Eger, married to Dave and living with their two children in Bargersville, and a son, Matt and his wife, Lora, living on South Seventh Street with three children.

Lois was a Stoner, a family of six girls and two boys who grew up in Jefferson Township. Three of them were well known in Goshen in the 1970s. Phyllis was city clerk-treasurer, DeVoe was police chief and Duane was fire chief. The three served in those top posts at the same time for a few years. Lois’ other sisters are Maxine Covert, Laura Miller, Janet Culp and June Gnivecki.

Lois explained her first job was at the J.J. Newburg Dime Store, following Phyllis working there.

“There were three dime stores in town then,” she said. She later worked seven years at Penn Controls for Ken Clark.

“It was a wonderful place to work,” Lois said. She stopped working to raise their family, but continued to work at home in the family business, Scott Signs.

Bill was born in Mishawaka and started school at Marquett School but moved to Dallas in 1949 and then to Goshen in 1951. He is the oldest, with two brothers and a sister. His parents moved to 410 E. Washington St. and lived there 51 years before his dad sold it in 2004. His mother died in 2004 and his father in 2007.

Bill was befriended by Glenn Juday, who was retired but had another career as a sign painter. Bill began painting signs before he was out of high school.

“I met Glenn at the Golden Rule Drug Store,” Bill explained, when the drug stores all had soda counters. “He had an old barn at Main and Middlebury and he taught me how to use a lettering brush.”

Bill had jobs of selling advertising for a newspaper and as a manifest clerk for a trucking company, but always had some sign business. He went into business full time at 510 Washington St. more than 50 years ago.

Bill also served in the Indiana National Guard for seven years, earning the rank of sergeant.

Bill explained Lois began helping him keep his books even before they were married. For years she worked on the paperwork at home, while the business phone also rang into the house.

But in recent years the phone was changed and Lois travels to the Washington Street office to work.

The Scott children helped in the family business when they were young, they explained, and Matt began there when he was 5.

“There was always something for them to do,” Bill said. They had an old piano at the business that the kids could play, as they both took lessons when they were younger.

Matt handles the computer-generated artwork at Scott Signs and is taking over more of the business now.

But Bill said he plans to continue to work.

“As long as I can be of help, I’ll still be there. I enjoy it,” Bill said.

Lois added that she hopes to phase out of the office this year.

The family traveled when they were younger, taking trips out west. Bill said they have friends who invite them to visit in Florida, but they just don’t get away in the winter.

The family has been active at First Baptist Church since 1976.

In their spare time they enjoy reading, Bill works on Sudoku puzzles and Lois on word games.

“It’s amazing the combinations guys come up with” in Sudoku, Bill said.

Bill reads Bible commentaries, plus the Bible and spiritual publications.

Lois said she recently completed Sarah Palin’s book and Mike Huckabee’s book. She also reads short stories.

“The Lord has blessed us,” Bill said. “Some people are never content. We’re very content when I look and see my children and grandchildren and where they are, spiritually in life.”

Bill and Lois said they have read The Goshen News their whole lives.

“I’ve always enjoyed the paper,” he said, “People still like to know what’s going on around them. We especially look at the way the town is run, so we can get a feel for where we are at.”

He said he likes to read Cal Thomas, the editorial page and letters, as well as the Pastor’ Pen column and Loren Beachy’s humor column.

“There is always news you don’t like to read, but that is part of life,” he said.

“We appreciate Goshen and what the people have done for us. We are not happy with everything, but for the most part, we appreciate our little town,” he said.