Rollie H. Rollin Foster

H. Rollin "Rollie" Foster, age 76, Clark, formerly of Garden City, died in the Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living Center at Clark early Sunday morning, November 13, 2011. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 10:30 AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with The Reverend Robin Schaunaman officiating. Burial will follow in the Garden City Cemetery at Garden City. The honorary casketbearers will be the residents and staff of the Fay Wookey Assisted Living Center. His grandchildren will serve as the active casketbearers. The organist will be Rosella Hanson. There will be congregational singing. Robin Brown will be the soloist. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 5-7 PM with a Masonic Service at 7PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark. Visitation will continue at the Church after 9AM on Thursday morning. He was born Henry Rollin Foster on April 17, 1935, near Clark, the son of John B. and Nora Mildred (Helgeson) Foster, one of five boys. Rollie as he became known, attended school at Garden City and then graduated from Garden City High School in 1954. He played for the Garden City Dragons basketball team during his high school days and always joked, he graduated in the top ten of his class! (There were only seven students in the Class of 1954). On July 7, 1956 he was united in marriage at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Clark to Arlene J. Anderson, daughter of Selmer and Eloise (Kelley) Anderson. They resided on a farm two and one-half miles west of Garden City. While on the farm he was engaged in raising cattle, small grains, corn and potatoes. After her death in 1994, Rollie continued living on the farm. For a short time Rollie lived at Kampeska Village near Watertown, then in Milbank, returned to the farm briefly and then moved into the Wookey Center in June of 2010. Rollie served as President of the Mt. Pleasant Township Board and recently received his 50 year pin of the Antient Free and Accepted Masons being initiated a member of the Garden City Lodge #146 in March of 1957 and currently a member of the Concord #13 Lodge in Watertown. He enjoyed hunting pheasant's, being taught by his father at a young age, over the years and having his faithful companion dog, "Bud", along with him. Preceding him in death were his parents, wife and siblings, John Wayne, Robert Keith, Ramsey Marlow and Edwin Alan Foster. Grateful for having shared in his life are his children, Randy Foster and friend Lisa Preheim of Watertown, James Foster of Garden City and friend Jan Foster of Watertown, Julie (Gil) Lardy of Watertown, Karen (Randy) Gruenwald of Clark and Joel Foster of Milbank; 9 grandchildren, Chelsea, Jordan, Brittney & Derek Lardy, Michael and fiancé Ikea, Aaron (Michelle), Malissa and Ashley Gruenwald and Tyler Foster; 2 step-great-grandchildren, Sterling & Sawyer and sister-in-laws, Joyce and Claryce Foster & Ann (Ron) O'Connor. He also leaves several nieces and nephews and a host of friends. Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com