Robert Gladstone Foster (1974)

FOSTER, BALDWIN

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 1/28/2007 at 08:46:02

Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
March, 1974

Robert Gladstone Foster was born August 29, 1883 in Gatehouse of Fleet, Scotland. He was six when his father brought his seven children to the United States in January, 1889, to settle in Nebraska City, Nebraska. In 1892, the family moved to the Earlham area on a farm east of town.

Gladstone went to the old Sears School, graduated from the Earlham Academy in 1902, and then attended 4C's Commercial College in Des Moines.

The family farm was sold in 1903 after Gladstone's four sisters and father died of tuberculosis within a year and a half. Gladstone and his brother, Harry Foster, returned to Scotland.

The Foster brothers came back to Earlham in 1905 and rented what is now known as the Stanley Williamson farm, paying $1000 for five years. This was the beginning of the Foster Brothers partnership.

In 1909, the two brothers purchased the Foster farm south of Earlham. Gladstone made his home with his brother and sister-in-law until he married Helen Baldwin in 1927.

Helen and Gladstone lived in Earlham until 1965, when they moved to Wesley Acres in Des Moines. Helen died on January 8, 1971.

Livestock feeding was of prime importance to Foster Brothers. For many years they exhibited carload lots of cattle. Their prizes included a first on a carload of Herefords at the Kansa City Royal, reserve carload at the International in Chicago, and grand champion carload of Angus steers at the first Ak-Sar-Ben show in 1928.

Gladstone and his brother were honored by both the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Chicago Stockyards for 50 years of continuous cattle sales.

Gladstone was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Masonic Lodge, the Des Moines Consistory and the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine. He died March 9, 1974, at Wesley Acres at the age of 90.

Services were held Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. in the Fisher Funeral home at Van Meter, with the Rev. Donald F. Taylor conducting.

(Burial was in the Earlham cemetery)

Gravesite
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen