Lucy Foster

Lucy J. Foster died on Friday, January 30th at the home of her daughter in Farmville.  She was 101.

Born in the Guinea neighborhood of Cumberland County, Lucy was the daughter of Robert Henderson and Martha Bolling Johnson.  She graduated from John Randolph High School and studied for a year at the State Teachers College, now Longwood University.

In 1935, in the depths of the Great Depression, Lucy married Harold E. Foster.  They were together 62 years, until Harold's death in 1997, and were loved and respected by four generations of their descendants and a host of other relatives, friends, and neighbors.

Lucy was a member first of Guinea and then Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  She was a Sunday School Teacher, youth director, president of the Women of the Church, served on numerous committees, and assisted her husband during his many years as an elder and treasurer of Cumberland Church.

For the last 14 years of her life, Lucy and her daughter lived together and were known as "The Grannies" by younger members of the family.

Lucy's survivors include her sister, Sydnor J. H. Moberg (Albert), of Harrisonburg; daughter Martha "Betty" Bryant; son Harold E. Foster, Jr. (Joyce), of Chesterfield; grandchildren Lucy Morris (Claude), of Sheppards; Will Bryant (Lacy), of Farmville; Richard Bryant of Baltimore, MD; Alison Bryan (Kyle), of Andersonville; Cynthia Lachelle Andersen, of Powhatan; and Robert Foster, of Chesterfield; great-grandchildren Shannon Jones (Patrick), of Curdsville, Thomas Morris (Cristin), of Farmville; Brandon Morris (Leslie), of Buckingham; Carter McAuley (Ryan), of Charlottesville; Ashleigh Bryant, of Cape Town, South Africa; Tad and Kendel Bryant, of Farmville; Elisabeth Shelnut, of Richmond; Nicholas Shelnut, of Charlottesville; Amanda Bryan, of Andersonville; Tyler and Shane Andersen, of Powhatan; great-great-grandchildren Kayla Ferguson, Rylynn, Alexandra, Morgan, and Whitley Morris, Jackson and Landon McAuley, and William Bryant.

Lucy was predeceased by two brothers, Robert H. and Nelson P. Johnson, and their wives, Mable and Allie.

Funeral services at Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Sunday, February 1, 2015 at 3:00pm with interment in the church cemetery.  The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1835 Cumberland Road, Farmville, VA 23901, or to Centra Hospice Farmville, 713 Oak Street.

Lucy's family deeply appreciates the faithful and compassionate service of caregivers Joette Barr, Sharon Troyer, Thorlanda Austin, and Shirley Mitchell.  Shorter Funeral Home is serving the family. www.shorterfuneralhome.com .