Earl W Foster

A Celebration of Life service for Earl W. Foster will be held at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, August 4 at the United Methodist Church in Plainview.

Earl Foster was born on July 10, 1922 to Charles and Lillie (Peterson) Foster on their farm 3 miles south of Plainview. He passed away at the age of 99 on Thursday, July 29, 2021 at Christian Homes Care Community in Holdrege, NE.

Earl attended school at Districts 25 and 5 in Plainview. In 1942, he was employed at the Saathoff Chevrolet dealership at Plainview. In 1944 he started a new job at the Roy Gates John Deere Implement, also in Plainview. He continued with Gate’s Implement until 1949 when Mr. Gates sold the business to Mr. Peter Kuhl and Sons.

In 1951, Earl began employment with John Deere Company at Omaha as Area Service Manager, which included traveling to dealerships in much of northern and western Nebraska, as well as, parts of South Dakota.

In 1953, Earl married Helen Mauck and to this union 2 children were born; son Randy and daughter Rhonda. Earl continued to work for John Deere while the main branch office in Omaha was relocated to Kansas City, MO.

Following Earl’s retirement in 1982, he purchased the former Ebinger’s Hardware building in downtown Plainview, where he owned and operated an antique and furniture restoration business, Treasure Chest Antiques. In 1994, he closed the business and went into full retirement.

Throughout Earl’s life, he enjoyed such hobbies as golf, wood working and carpentry, and collecting antiques and toy trains. He also loved having coffee and visiting with friends. Earl was particularly known to be a guy full of joy and a quick wit. He never knew a stranger and would often be found striking up conversations with people he’d never met before. Earl had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, which was the foundation for his jolly disposition and gift of making friends.

In 2014, following Helen’s passing, Earl relocated to the Holdrege area to be near daughter Rhonda and family. In 2017 he made the decision to become a resident of the Christian Homes Care Community, where he made many new friends and enjoyed a variety of activities both inside and outside the facility.

Earl is survived by his son Randy and wife Candace of Omaha, his daughter Rhonda Allen and husband Randy of Elm Creek and 4 grandchildren: TJ Foster, Kansas City, MO, Josh Foster, Omaha, NE, Carissa Allen,Lenexa, KS and Jackson Allen, Wichita, KS, as well as many friends. He was preceded in death by his wife Helen, his parents and 3 siblings.