UPDATE
1980
In order to update the Foster family history, compiled by my brother, Ivan L. Foster, -- I, George Brittin Foster, submit the following information:
Our father, WILLIAM EDWIN FOSTER, born May 30, 1867, died on October 27, 1960, at the age of 93 years, following a fall in which he received a broken leg. It occurred in his home on the Foster farm, where he lived most of his long life. He is buried beside his wife, Nettie, who died in 1933, in the Auburn Cemetery near Auburn, Illinois, in Sangamon County.
IVAN LEON FOSTER (Child #1) who compiled this 1927 family history (and which I am now attempting to update) was born April 23, 1896 and died November 26, 1965 in Santa Barbara, California. He joined the U.S. Army in 1917, served through the two World Wars (I and II), reaching the rank of Brigadier General. Upon his retirement, he received the rank of Major General. This was quite a fete for a young man who entered his country’s service as a Private.
He was married to (1) Erma Holtz. They had one child:
i. Ivan Leon Foster, Jr. (mentioned at the end of the 1927 History)
His (#2) wife was Frances (Beeson) Kennedy whom he married in 1949. They had one child:
ii. Elizabeth ________ Foster, who lives in California.
General Ivan L. Foster is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
MABEL LOUISE FOSTER (Child #2) born December 29, 1899, was married to Earl T. Giberson in 1925, and lived in Virden, Illinois until 1974, when they moved to Champaign, Illinois. They had one child:
i. Mary Louise Giberson, born in 1931 – October 29th. She married James Patrick Bray in 1951. Jim is a Certified Public Accountant and they live in Champaign, Illinois. They have two children:
1. James Patrick Bray, Jr.
2. Mary Susan Bray
WILLIAM ANDREW FOSTER (Child #3) was born December 15, 1900. He continues to live and farm the family farm which at this writing has been in the Foster family for nearly 150 years. He married Grace Cloyd in 1928 and they have four children.
(Additional note: Grace died in a Virden nursing home on August 10, 1985.)
i. Stephen Cloyd Foster, born February 8, 1934. He married
(1) Helen Reichert (2) Janice Wainwright
ii. Nancy Jane Foster, born September 18, 1935. She married Thomas Shehan.
iii. Judith Ann Foster, born April 29, 1939. She married Fred Kramer.
iv. Charles William Foster, born October 9, 1944. He married Judith Schroeder.
JAMES MERVIN FOSTER (Child #4), born January 10, 1902 married (1) Marian Mann. They had two children:
i. Alice, born 1938 – Married to __________ Macdonald
ii. Ann, born 1935 – Died 1943.
He married (2) Margaret Meyer in 1948. They had no children. Mervin (as the family called him) died December 28, 1956. He is buried in Auburn Cemetery, Auburn, Illinois.
MARY LUCILLE FOSTER (Child #5), born March 2, 1904. She married Everette J. Ingersoll in 1930. They had two children:
i. Carole Yvonne Ingersoll, born October 24, 1932.
ii. Danny Ingersoll, born in 1936. Danny died in infancy and is buried in Roselawn Memorial Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.
Carole married Peter H. Duff, a career Marine. They live in Hawaii.
Everette died in 1958 and is also buried in Roselawn Memorial Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Mary lives in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mary is a retired Registered Nurse.
GEORGE BRITTIN FOSTER (Child #6), was born July 3, 1910, graduated from Virden High School in 1928 and attended Chillicothe Business School in Chillicothe, Missouri. He married (1) Margaret Bartosh. They had one child:
i. Donald George Foster, born August 21, 1934. He married Joyce ___________. They had two children:
(1) Craig (2) Dale Marie
Donald and his family live in Chicago, Illinois
George married (2) Wilma Ilene Gibbs who was born December 23, 1920. They were married in Brownwood, Texas on Friday, October 13, 1944 where George was serving in the United States Army during World War II. They have two children:
i. Annette Ilene Foster, born April 9, 1947. Annette graduated from Illinois College and is a high school teacher. She married George Mark Hockenyos in 1966. They adopted two children:
1. Brittiny Ruthanne, born March 30, 1968
2. Elizabeth Donna, born April 15, 1970
Annette and Mark were divorced in 1976.
Annette married John Frederick Beck in 1977. They have one child:
1. Molly Anne Beck, born July 29, 1983 in Springfield, Illinois.
ii. George Douglas Foster, born November 10, 1949. Doug graduated from Illinois College in 1970. He owns and operates an electronics store in Springfield, Illinois.
Doug married (1) Beverly Kay Ivers in 1969. They had no children and were divorced in 1977. He married (2) Robin Anne Nelson on August 15, 1981 in Springfield Illinois. They have one child:
1. Cory Douglas Foster, born June 27, 1985, in Springfield Illinois.
George and Wilma live in Springfield, Illinois at 1541 West Governor Street.
All of this text is accurate to the date that it was completed (around 1985). Like I mention at the end of the Foster Family History, I would like to keep everything that George wrote how he wrote it (even though it makes it appear that I do not exist, according to this update). Anything that would fill in the blanks can come up in a new update.
-- Alex Foster, August 26, 2007