Foster

FOSTER RIPLEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/27/2010 at 23:27:57

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Foster Family
By Melvin Wright

In September of 1864, Lafayette Foster came to settle in Woodbury County. He was born in Litchfield County, Connecticut, July 23, 1824. His parents were Albert and Clarissa Foster. His father was a native of Massachusetts and his mother a native of Rhode Island. Lafayette moved with his parents from Connecticut to New York. HE received his education at the Academy at Homer, Courtland County, New York. In 1850, he married Sarah Ripley and to this union wereborn three chidlren: Albro, Emma and Ernest.

Lafayette continued to live with his parents on a farm until 1864 when he came west with seventy families to the Dakota Territory. He remained there only a short time and came to Woodbury County in Spetember 1864. He purchased 120 acres of land in Woodbury Township. For several years he worked the land in the summers and taught school in Sergeant Bluff and vicinity in the winters. Part of this land which he farmed won on the bank of what is now called Brower’s Lake. He was a member of the Farmer’s Alliance, a forerunner of the Farm Bureau.

Lafayette did considerable work in promoting and organizing the Methodist Church at Sergeant Bluff. He was a member of the official board at the time the church was built.

Albro David Foster had been born March 15, 1852, in Stratford, New York. He came west with his parents to Dakota Territory when he was twelve years old. This was quite an experience for a lad of this age as the trip was made by ox team and covered wagon. The next year he came on to Woodbury County. He taught school in Woodbury Township for seveal years. He married Aura Van Auken at Salix, November 22, 1882. His wife had also coem west by covered wagon with her parents form New York in the early 1860’s. After they were married, they lived at the farm south of Sergeant Bluff for some forty years when they moved into town at Sergeant Bluff. Albro Foster was a self-taught student of law and had built up quite a library for law books. Due to this knowledge he served as township Justice of the Peace for over forty years. In this capacity he married many couples and it was a common occurrence for him to hear cases in the living room of his home. He found time to do considerable work in the church and Sunday school in his earlier yers.

His wife, Aura, was very active in church work. She was a faithful workeer in the Women’s Missionary Circle and had helped that group serve the widely known chicken dinners at the Old Settlers’ Picnic for many years. They were the parents of three sons, Arthur, Harry and Ellis.

Arthur Foster began his teaching career at the early age of 17. He later farmed south of Sergeant Bluff. He also was active in Sunday school work at the Methodist Church in Sergeant Bluff.

He had staked a claim and proved up this claim near Okaton, South Dakota, but the most of his life was spent in Woodbury County where he farmed until his death in 1947.

Harry also chose the teaching profession as his career and was a principal in the Sioux City Public Schools. He died in 1979.

Ellis likewise taught school for a number of years and was in the manufacturing business to California. He died in 1976.

Arthur Foster had three chidlren, all of whom grew up in Sergeant Bluff and graduated from high school there. Theodore B Foster attended Iowa State College at Cedar Halls. He taught school for some time. He owned and operated his own produce company (Foster Produce) in Sioux City. He married Olvena Carlson of Sioux City. They had one son, Donald. Both Donald and Theodore are deceased.

Barbara Foster attended Teachers College at Wayne, Nebraska. She taught in Cushing and Sioux City, Iowa. Barbara married Duane Johnson and lived on a farm near Kiron, Iowa. They had two children, Arthur and Vicki. Barbara died in 1975.

Carol Foster attended Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska and Cedar Falls. She taught for eight years. Carol married Melvin Wright of Lawton and they had tow daughters, Marilyn (Mrs Terry Horsley) of Marcus, Iowa. They have three children, Wendy, Robin and Brent. Both Marilyn and Terry teach school. The other daughter is Donna (Mrs Martin Hoffmann) of Merrill, Iowa. They live on a farm and have three children, Theodore, Shawn and Jeffrey. Donna taught school at LeMars. Melvin Wright died in 1973.

The Fosters have had a long tradition of teaching, from 1864-1983.