Foreman, Jacob 'Les' 1920-2011

FOREMAN, DEVELDER, LUBBERS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg -volunteer (email)
Date: 2/13/2011 at 17:55:50

Jacob "Les" Foreman
Jan. 4, 1920----Jan. 5, 2011

MEMPHIS, TN—Dr. Jacob Lester "Les" Foreman, 91, Memphis, TN, formerly of the Boyden and Hull area, died Saturday, Jan. 5, in Memphis, TN.

Services were Saturday, Jan. 8 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Memphis, TN. A private burial followed.

Dr. Jacob "Les" Foreman, son of George and Delia (DeVelder) Foreman was born Jan. 4, 1920, in Remsen. The family resided in northwest Iowa and he helped his parents and siblings on the family farm. He graduated from Boyden High School and went onto Sheldon Junior College. His education was interrupted by World War II and he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He completed pilot training and was a B-24 pilot.

During this time he married Ruth Lubbers and they had three children. After the war ended he resumed his education at Westmar College in LeMars and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1946. His first teaching job was in Hull, where he taught math, physics, and industrial arts. He also was a successful basketball and track coach.

He spent his summers furthering his education, earning a master’s degree at the University of Minnesota in 1950 and a doctorate of education at the University of Northern Colorado in 1957. His teaching career lasted for 45 years and he taught every level from elementary country school to graduate education courses. He was a professor of education at South Dakota State University in Brookings. He also was the president of the South Dakota Education Association.

He also taught at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN. He ended his teaching career at Oak Haven High School in Memphis, TN, where he taught remedial math.

He was a passionate teacher and was the driving force in many professional educational organizations. Association of Teacher Educators was one of his favorites and was a member for more than 60 years, along with being a lifetime member of National Education Association. He was loved by his students at every level and enjoyed hearing from students he had throughout his lifetime. He truly had education in his blood. His mother, wife, sisters, brother, daughter and stepdaughter were all teachers. He married Avis Pentecost of Memphis, TN, in 1981 and resided in Memphis, TN.

Survivors include his wife, Avis Foreman of Memphis, TN, a daughter, Mary and John of Bozeman, MT; a son, Gary and Michelle Foreman of Boulder, CO; a stepson, Jim Pentecost of Germantown, TN; a stepdaughter, Penny Powers of Collierville, TN; a sister, Dorothy Bloemendaal of Leesberg, FL; a brother, Don Foreman of Davenport; five grandsons; five stepgrandsons; a stepgranddaughter; and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, Larry (Trudi) Foreman; and a sister Marjorie.

He was a member of St. Luke’s Methodist Church and was a member of their choir for 30 years. He was a man who loved whatever he was doing whether it was tinkering in his workshop, playing a round of golf, singing with a quartet, playing with children, petting a furry animal, dancing with his wife or talking with his children.

Source: Northwest Iowa Review of Jan 29, 2011