Biography: Mrs. J.M. Foster, Caddo Parish La.
Submitted by: casteel@hiwaay.net (Thomas J. Casteel)



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MRS. J. M. FOSTER

MRS. FOSTER was the only daughter of Dr. William Long, of Natchitoches, now
deceased. On her maternal side Mrs. Foster was the granddaughter of the
Rev. Dr. Boggs, an eminent Presbyterian divine. She was reared by a devoted
aunt, her mother having died when she was a small child, and she and her
only brother, Mr. John Long, of Kingston, La., were the tender charges in
their childhood of this aunt, who rendered valuable aid to Dr. Long in his
care of his motherless little ones.

When quite a young girl Mrs. Foster was sent to Mansfield College, then one
of the leading institutions in the South. From this college she was
graduated with distinguished honors. When barely seventeen years of age,
she was married to the late Mr. James M. Foster, at that time a prominent
young planter of Caddo Parish. Mr. and Mrs. Foster lived for a number of
years on the plantation and there five children were born to them. Mr.
Foster was a man of rare business ability and prospered marvelously, adding
vast acres to those acquired from his father. When the time came to 1h;nk
of the education of their children, Mr. and Mrs. Foster came to Shreveport
to live, and took up their abode at "Curraghmuir," the well known Foster
home, which has always been the center of such delightful hospitality. At
"Curraghmuir" six other children were born, Mr. and Mrs. Foster having been
blessed with eleven children. Mr. Foster's affairs had now become very
broad, for in addition to his planting interests, he had become one of the
standard -bearers of Democracy-never wishing and never taking office - a
Warwick, a king maker of North Louisiana. During these strenuous times,
Mrs. Foster "sang to her nest," devoting her time and wonderful talents to
the upbringing of her little family, which was destined to become so
identified with the highest social and literary life of Louisiana and
several other states.

Mrs. Foster was a woman of many brilliant accomplishments, whose keen wit
and great social experience made her notable in any company. Her literary
gifts were very unusual and lent themselves to a great diversity of
subjects. She was a brilliant club woman, the first president of Hypatia
Club, which was the first club established in North Louisiana. She was the
first president of the Federation of Women's Clubs of Louisiana, the first
regent of the Pelican Chapter D. A. R. of Shreveport; the vice State Regent
of the Daughters of the American. Revolution; the first president of the
Home for the Homeless in which office she continued for many years. She was
an ardent Daughter of the Confederacy. She was closely connected with every
literary, educational, civic and charitable enterprise of the city. She was
one of the founders of the Old Ladies' Home of Shreveport, and for a number
of years its president, the magnificent home which now houses the indigent
being erected largely through her energies-as large contributors assured
her it was their confidence in her that wade them so ready to give-and may
well be considered a testimonial to her ability and the distinguished
regard in which she was held. She was chairman for the State of Louisiana
for the George Washington Memorial Association.

                     A TRIBUTE FROM THE MOTHERS' UNION

To Her Who Was So Pre-eminently a "Mother" in the Closest and Broadest
Sense.:
"Our mourning for the passing of the noble spirit of Mrs. James M. Foster
will be of the sincerest, most enduring type-it will be the continual
striving to emulate her example, and the teaching of our daughters to try
to live as she has lived. We will tell them that no woman ever was, who
combined more perfectly all the qualities which Solomon ascribed to the
perfect woman, for "She opened her mouth with wisdom and the law of
kindness was on her tongue:' "She looked well to the way of her household
and the bread of idleness she did not eat." "She spread out wide her open
palms to the poor, yea her hands stretched out to the needy." "Her children
rise up and call her blessed." "Strength and dignity were her clothing and
she smiled at the coming of the last day for her own works shall praise her
in the gates."

Her name and true motherhood will always be synonymous in our hearts'
vocabulary. Our grief is the grief of children-sympathy to the bereaved of
blood going out in proportion.

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From Chronicles of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, Maude Hearn O'Pry, 1928,
Page 350
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