Lois Foster

Lois Foster was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. A caring nurturer, she cherished her years as a mother and was delighted with the arrival of her grandchildren. Living her life to the fullest and enjoying the company of each and every person who came her way, she leaves behind a rich legacy of accepting all people with compassion. Her warm personality, genuine friendship, and loving ways will be deeply cherished by her many special friends and loved ones.

The 1930s were significantly impacted by the effects of the Great Depression. Banks were still closed but there was a promise of a new election year awaiting. During the middle of one of the toughest decades in American history, Guy and Marion (Pierce) Fish welcomed home the arrival of their newborn daughter, Lois Jane, on September 24, 1931, in Dowagiac, Michigan. Born the youngest of four children, her daddy always called her, Baby Jane.

Her feisty nature and no-nonsense spirit were seen at a young age. Once when Lois was in the third grade she became so agitated by another friend who continued to pinch her during a church service that she pulled the friend off the front pew and onto the floor into an all-out fight! The preacher stopped the church service, stepped down from the platform, took both girls by the arm and sent them back to their parents pew to deal with further. Lois was very active throughout her childhood. She attended schools at Jones, Marcellus, and later Woodward Junior High. She loved Girl Scouts, tap dance lessons, and roller-skating, but never liked ice-skating. Lois met the love of her life, Peter Foster, during her years attending Kalamazoo Central High School. Smitten from the very start, they joined in marriage on February 22, 1947, in Charlotte, Michigan. They moved to Oshtemo in 1951 where they raised their five wonderful children and became lifelong residents there.

Lois and Pete built a solid marriage on their foundation of faith. While attending the Gull Lake Bible Conference where Dr. M. R. DeHaan was speaking in 1952, Lois accepted the Lord. She and Pete were long time members of Faith Baptist Church of Mattawan, Michigan, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, worked in Faith Christian Academy, and was active in the music ministry. She was affectionately called Grandma Foster by many in the church. She loved to sing her favorite hymns with her children and grandchildren over the years. She also enjoyed working alongside her husband, Pete, who was a Chaplain for several years in the Kalamazoo area at Total Living, Altera, and Friendship Village. They served as greeters at their church for many years. Even after Pete died Lois would sit in the entry hallways of the education wing and shower folks with words, smiles and unforgettable hugs and often with a kiss.

As a mother, Lois cherished making the best memories with her children. Once she fashioned soap bottles into squirt guns so the kids could enjoy having water fights. She was also very creative and had a great imagination. Knowing that Dan was fond of his uncle Bill who was in the Air Force, she put Dan in a chair with a stool plunger on the floor between his feet with a fan in front of him. Now he had an airplane with a propeller! Later, she placed that same plunger on the right side of his chair without the fan and he used it as a steering wheel. Dan credits her ingenuity for him making a career in the Air Force and later becoming a truck driver! She was the epitome of a homemaker and caring nurturer. She put love into anything she set out to accomplish; baking, sewing, mending, ironing, cleaning, organizing, as well as being there for her children. She kept structure and routine during their developing years with hot dogs on Fridays and tasty fried chicken or roast beef on Sundays.

Raising a large family, Lois knew how to stretch a dollar. She would often skim off any extra funds left over from buying groceries and save that for Christmas presents. The children fondly remember her saving her S & H stamps for Christmas gifts as well. Lois loved to organize family trips to the park, beach, and vacation. Although she did not have really expensive and luxurious things, she was content with what she had. Any item given to her was carefully placed on a shelf and each piece held a special story and memory for her that she was eager to share with any visitor. Her living room walls proudly displayed her beloved family in dozens of individual and family photos. She could literally make any place feel like home.

She and Pete shared a lifetime of happiness. The two of them enjoyed camping and traveling to various places around the state of Michigan. They favored the Straits and other special places up north. They also traveled to many other parts of this beautiful nation often taking their kids and grandkids along as well. They enjoyed attending many of their grandchildren’s special programs, sporting events, and more! An avid sports fan, any sporting event she attended, Lois was the loudest cheerleader routing for her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. She was also the scorekeeper for their church team as well as the Kalamazoo softball team that Pete once coached. Not surprising, she was fond of the Detroit Tigers over the years.

Lois and Pete also loved to entertain over the years. They welcomed many guests such as well-known, Bill Rice III, Bob Jones the III, Evangelist Ron Comfort, and Olympic Gold Medalist Ben Peterson! The most important people in her life, however, were her family. They will remember her for her handmade noodles, popcorn, popcorn balls, super creamy macaroni and cheese, her glorified rice was made to perfection and she made the best potato salad ever! Social by nature, Grandma Foster was also a member “Chat in the Hat” and the Red Hat Club of Lawton where she made many lasting friendships. In their later years, she and Pete also enjoyed sharing table games, puzzles, and reading the Word of God together which challenged their minds. Her favorite verses were John 3:16 and Romans 10:9, 10, and 13 and her favorite hymns were Precious Lord Take My Hand and The Old Rugged Cross. Lois loved unconditionally with open arms and tended to gravitate toward those that needed it most. She wanted nothing more than to share in the happiness of her growing family. May her loving ways be a rich example for her loved ones to cherish and reflect upon fondly for many years to come.

Lois Jane (Fish) Foster, went home to be with her personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 29, 2020. Lois leaves behind her beloved four children: Glenn (Cherie Kaetterhenry) Foster of Lawton, Carolyn (Foster) Paul Phelps, Sr. of Oshtemo, Daniel (Susan Earing) Foster of New York, Thomas (Mary Kemp) Foster of Almena; daughter-in-law, Vicki Bennet; 15 grandchildren and 28 Great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; her half-brother, Charles W. Kelly; brother, Gerald Fish; and sister, Louise (Fish) Frank; husband, Peter M. Foster, Sr.; son, Pete Foster Jr.; and grandson, Charles Foster. Memorial gifts may be sent to Faith Baptist Church of Mattawan, Michigan or PTSD Outreach to veterans and first responders - MASH ministries http://www.mashministries.org. A service for Lois will take place at a later date. Please visit Lois’s personal web page at www.BetzlerLifeStory.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her online guestbook.