Foster Roberts

Foster Roberts, 93, of Williamsburg, Kansas, died Thursday, June 11, 2020, at the Olathe Health Hospice House. A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020, at Central Cemetery, Pomona, Kansas. Family will meet with friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday, June 19, 2020, at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa. Foster was born December 19, 1926, in rural Williamsburg, Franklin County, Kansas, the son of Ray and Vera (Chambers) Roberts. His father Ray settled on the 40-acre farm north of Williamsburg around 1920. Foster was just a young boy when The Great Depression began with the stock market crash of 1929. And he remembered the Dust Bowl that started in 1930. He told stories of children walking to school with bandanas covering their noses and mouths to protect them from breathing the dust. He said it was a hard time for everyone. He grew up working on the farm. As a young boy he milked cows, fed baby calves, taught calves how to drink, did gardening, and worked the fields with no horses. He also picked up cobs after the pigs ate on them. The cobs were then used to start fires. There was no electricity back then. They had a woodburning stove, kerosene lights and they got their water from a well. When he was young, the family attended Central Methodist Church, the small church that used to be at Central Cemetery. Foster became a Christian while in 7th grade. Near 1950, he started attending the Free Methodist Church in Williamsburg. Foster started young driving a tractor and drove his first car when he was 15. He made money taking kids to school. He also made money farming some land that his dad let him get the income from and hauling coal to neighbors. He didn’t particularly like school, but he said the last day of school each year was a big deal. The winning team in elementary basketball would get a trophy. And he won a trophy one year. He told the story of being a waterboy using a pony during football games. He played the trombone in high school. He played football, but it was hard to play sports because he was expected to work on the farm after school, especially during harvest time. He and his friends enjoyed playing softball, going sledding, riding horses, and playing football on Friday afternoon because there were no lights. He graduated from Williamsburg High School with the class of 1945. On June 3, 1951, Foster was united in marriage to Charleen Marie Peterson at Ottawa. They made their home just north of Williamsburg. They shared 61 years of marriage and had five children. They raised Steve, Tim, Marc, Priscilla, and Naomi on the farm there. Foster was a lifelong farmer. He and his brother Quentin took over the family farming prior to 1967, when their father died. They became respected in the area because of their successful farming and their conservation practices, which they started years before it became general practice. They had about 1800 acres in cultivation, pasture and hay ground, and they also raised cattle. He was a lifelong Williamsburg resident. He was a former member of the Williamsburg Free Methodist Church and a longtime member of Cherry Street Wesleyan Church, serving on the board and as a Sunday school teacher. He was a member of the Franklin-Miami Camp of Gideons International. Foster was an avid gardener known for his large field of flowers and vegetables. He always planted extra because he loved sharing with family and friends. One of his favorite things to do was to take vases of flowers to the school and to different businesses in town. He wanted to bring people cheer. He looked forward to spending time with his family and grandchildren. Above all, he loved to share his faith with others. He never met a stranger. His joy was spreading the Word of God. He was preceded in death by his wife Charleen; two sons, Stephen and Timothy; parents, Ray and Vera Roberts; and brother, Quentin Roberts. Survivors include three children, Marc (Connie) Roberts of Williamsburg, Priscilla (Rick) Fields of Olathe, and Naomi (Rob) Bailey of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; two sisters, Verna DiNatale of La Plata, Maryland, and Kathlyn (Dennis) Brooks of Topeka; ten grandchildren, Christy (Sam) Gonzales, Michelle (John) Roberts-Kolodziej, Ashley Roberts, Lindsay (Seth) Stiers, Laura Fields, Clint (Jill) Roberts-Johnson, Chad (Mandi) Roberts, Alicia (Wil) Brummett, Christian Bailey, and Charles Bailey; and eleven great grandchildren, Kiley, Chloee, Kinlee, Taygen, Sophie, Franklin, Kenzie, Eli, Claire, Case and Cale; one great great grandchild, Braelynn. The family suggests memorial contributions to Gideons International c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067.