Generation 4 - James Lemuel Foster and Martha Ellen Bramlet

The 1900 census for Davis County, Iowa, shows Fountain's and Malinda's son, Isaac, and his wife, Editha, living in or near the township of Drakesville. Many of the children have left home. James, at 20, is still living at home. In the 1880 census, we saw a Jarrett, also being born at the same time as our James. One possible explaination is that the family had not settled upon a name and gave one to the census taker, only to change it later. Another possibility comes by taking a lesson about early handwriting, which I learned by reading the marriage certificate of Fountain and Malinda. I speculate the double 't's of 'Jarrett' is really a fancy, swirly 's' and the double-r is really an "m". Whatever the case, Jarrett is missing and James appears.

In the years between 1900 and 1903, James has moved to Oregon and on June 29, 1903, he married Martha Ellen Bramlet. Shortly after, James and Martha move to Washington State where he makes his living as a sawmill worker. In 1904, at 23, his son Lethe was born in Chalalis, Washington.

By the spring of 1906, the family of James Lemuel and Martha moved to Oregon where on May 1, 1906, his second son Gerald Clayton Foster was born. On September 13, 1907, Donald was born, and two months later on November 3, 1907, James's mother Editha dies. She is buried in Drakesville Cemetery, Drakesville Township, Davis County, Iowa. James's only daughter, Lenore, was born in Seattle,Washington, on October 10, 1909.

In this picture the following was written, presumably by Ruth Hardman who researched the Bramlet family :
"Grandpa Foster, James "Lemuel" Foster, Lem's sister, Nora Foster, Lenora Foster (age 9 years) and Donald Foster." Grandpa is Isaac William Foster. Based upon the age of Lenora, this photo was taken in 1918. James's wife had died the previous year of pneumonia. Grandpa Foster died January 5, 1920 at the age of 89.

Descendants of James Lemuel Foster

Generation No. 4

4. JAMES LEMUEL FOSTER (ISAAC WILLIAM, FOUNTAIN TINSLEY, ISAAC) was born March 25, 1880 in Bloomfield, Davis County, Iowa, and died November 21, 1965 in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. He married (1) MARTHA ELLEN BRAMLET June 29, 1903 in Walla Walla, Washington, daughter of FRANCIS BRAMLET and MARTHA TOWER. She was born February 17, 1879 in Wallowa, Oregon, and died January 17, 1917 in Enterprise, Oregon. He married (2) PEARL HEINIE Abt. 1918.

More About JAMES LEMUEL FOSTER:
Occupation: Occupation: Sawmill worker

Marriage Notes for JAMES FOSTER and MARTHA BRAMLET:
Their marriage was witnessed by Sarah J. Knott and her husband John H. Knott.

Children of JAMES FOSTER and MARTHA BRAMLET are:
i. LETHE BENTON FOSTER, b. March 25, 1904, Cosmopolis, Washington; d. February 05, 1991, Bend, Oregon; m. ROSANNA OLIVE RIVERS, November 07, 1927, Keslo, Washington; b. January 07, 1910, Eugene, Oregon; d. March 29, 1996, Bend, Oregon.

Notes for ROSANNA OLIVE RIVERS:
They had known each other 3 weeks when they married. My Mother was not quite 18, so the Salvation Army Captain who was with them put a piece of paper with the # 18 in each of my Mother's shoes, so when asked, she could answer she was over 18. - Audrey Juanita Foster

ii. GERALD CLAYTON FOSTER, b. May 01, 1906, Portland, Oregon; d. August 21, 1977, Bend, Oregon; m. EUNICE LEONA NELSON, September 30, 1926, Bend, Oregon; b. July 03, 1908, Seattle, Washington; d. December 16, 1994, Bend, Oregon.

Notes for GERALD CLAYTON FOSTER:
[Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 3, Social Security Records: U.S., SS Death Benefit Records, Surnames Beginning with F, Date of Import: Mar 17, 1996, Internal Ref. #1.111.3.71252.143]

Individual: Foster, Gerald
Birth date: May 1, 1906
Death date: Aug 1977
Social Security #: 540-10-2073
Last residence: OR 97701
State of issue: OR

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The following information found on obituary in local paper.
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A member of the Deschutes County Pioneer Association, Gerald C. Foster was raised in the Wallowa and Enterprise area and came to Bend in 1924. He worked for the Shevlin-Hixon Company for many years, then was a carpenter in the area and a custodian at the Pine Tavern until retirement.

He had 19 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

He has several half-brother and sisters. These are:
Walter Williams; Los Angeles, California
Esther Challender, Mill City, Oregon
Marry Wilcox;Vancouver, Washington
Mildred Vaught, Portland, Oregon

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The following information provided by Mary Fraser on behalf of the Deschutes County Historical Society, March 14, 1996.
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1924-1925
Worked at Brooks-Scanlon. Not yet married

1938
Married to Eunice and living on Hartford Street in Bend.

1946-1947
Gerald has changed occupations and is now working for Bend Heating and Sheet Metal. Larry is married to Virginia and living on Colorado Street. Gerald and Eunice made the acquaintance with John Cook and Mary Cook. At that time Gerald and Eunice were living on Riverside. Mary Cook, (now Mary Fraser and from whom these notes were acquired) says they came to live with them in the winter of 1948 or 1949. It was in the following summer that little Twila drowned in the river.

1955
Gerald has changed jobs, working at the Pine Tavern. Larry and Virginia are on Ogden street.

1957
Gerald and Eunice have moved to the address on Federal. Larry and Virginia are still married and Leon and Sylvia are living in Bend.

More About GERALD CLAYTON FOSTER:
Fact 2: Social Security #: 540-10-207315
Fact 3: State of issue: OR
Fact 4: Last residence: OR 97701
Occupation: Mill Worker

iii. DONALD RICHARD FOSTER, b. September 13, 1907, Washington; d. August 18, 1969.
iv. LENORE DAPHNE EDITHA FOSTER, b. October 10, 1909, Washington; m. EDWARD T. CASEBEER, July 18, 1928, Bend, Oregon.

Notes for LENORE DAPHNE EDITHA FOSTER:
She died of complications after gall bladder surgery in the early 1950's.

Children of JAMES FOSTER and PEARL HEINIE are:
v. WALTER PAUL HENRY.
vi. ESTHER ELIZABETH HENRY.
vii. MARY MARGARET HENRY.
viii. MILDRED RUTH HENRY