Jessie Foster

Jessie Arlene Foster, age 82, died peacefully at Flower Mound Assisted Living in Flower Mound, Texas on May 25 after suffering a stroke the previous week.

Jessie was born December 31, 1930, on a farm near Gurley, Nebraska to the late Wade and Opal Sterling.

At an early age Jessie taught school to 1st through 12th grade in a one room school house in western Nebraska. She also taught briefly at the catholic school in Sidney.

On February 17, 1951, Jessie married Robert Foster from Dalton, Nebraska. She had four children and continued to teach. The family lived in Sidney where they had their four children until 1968. Bob and Jessie then moved to Manhattan, Kansas where she took a job at Kansas State University as a comptroller and then as secretary for 12 years in the Department of Foods and Nutrition. In 1980 she suffered an aneurism then stroke and was disabled . She worked very hard to regain her speech, walking and writing.

Jessie always loved animals, while her horse Tracy along with dogs Fala and Fala2 were her passion they were also a great therapy during her stroke recovery. She suffered another stroke in 2010 and moved to a nursing home in Larned, Kansas. In 2012 she and Bob moved to Flower Mound, Texas to an assisted living where they would be able to live together. She loved to sing, play the piano, sew and cook and was quite good at all of them.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Steve Sterling. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Robert Foster of Flower Mound, Texas, Dorothy Rattenne (Mike) of Spring Hill, Kansas, Larry Sterling (Patricia) of Kimball, Nebraska, and Riley Sterling (Barbara) of Chino Valley, Arizona. She is also survived by four children, Kent Foster (Kathy) of Manhattan, Kansas, Kelli Trimble of Lewisville, Texas, Rocke Foster (Karol) of Larned, Kansas, and Robin Unruh (Owen) of Anaheim, California.

She is also survived by 8 grandchildren whom she loved very much, and 1 great grandchild.

Memorials in her name may be made to the Catholic Church, which Jessie was a long time member of, or to the local Hospice care. Memorial services will be on August 31st at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Manhattan, Kansas.