Julia E. Foster, Jackson Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Frances Ball Turner ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** History of Louisiana by Chambers Vol. II, pg. 208 Julia E. Foster, principal of the Jonesboro High School, is a born teacher, and her former pupils in different localities unite in an enthusiastic praise of her inspiration and leadership. Miss Foster holds the Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Lebanon College, and has done post-graduate work towards the Master's degree in the University of Chicago and the University of California. She was born at Lisbon in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, daughter of Rev. Cornelius Emmett and Elizabeth (Sparks) Foster. Her father was born in Alabama and a week after his birth, his father died. He was an only son and was only nine years of age when his mother passed away. As an orphan he made his own way, educated himself and from childhood lived at Brookville, Mississippi, where he first attended school. Later he was a student in Mississippi College. During the war between the states, he served as a drummer boy in the Confederate army, but on account of his youth was kept away from the battle lines. He had a natural inclination for studious pursuits and was a lifelong reader of good books and a forceful writer. During his early years he worked as a bookkeeper, then entered the ministry of the Baptist Church and preached in many localities. For twelve years he was pastor at Gansville, twelve years at Liberty Hill and then at Jonesboro. The Jonesboro Church, a beautiful edifice, stands as a monument to his labors, having been build during his pastorate. Reverend Foster died in 1922 at the age of seventy-two. He was of Irish ancestry, while his wife was Scotch. She died in 1904 aged forty-four. Next to his religion, Masonry was the subject in which he was most interested and he was master at various times. He held his membership in the lodge at Winnfield, which had charge of his funeral. Miss Foster's mother was educated in Colonel Nicholson's old school and had a master mechanical mind. Miss Julia Foster inherits her literary gifts both from her father and mother. In the family were three sons and three daughters; William, a bookkeeper and postmaster at Jonesboro; C. E., Jr., a telegraph operator and railroad agent at Heflin; Nana, wife of A. L. LaGrone of Monroe; and Ora Lee, wife of R.D. Ford of Memphis. All the children received part of their educations from their mother. Miss Julia continued her education in Mount Lebanon College. Her first experience as a teacher was in rural districts, sometimes out in the woods, where every child who attended school brought such books as the home afforded and she had to manage with the miscellaneous variety of textbooks. During this experience she sometimes had to walk long distances between her lodgings and the school and sometimes did not have the best of living conditions. In spite of such handicaps, she has always been in love with her profession. Her first high school work was done at Dodson, then at Cheneyville, Georgetown and finally at Jonesboro. When the principalship of the Jonesboro School became vacant in 1925, without solicitation on her part, she was invited to take the place. In the schools she teaches all the language and literature work. Miss Foster is a member of the Classical Society of America, the National Geographic Society of America, the Teachers' Associations in Louisiana. Some of her former pupils went overseas during the World war, one a boy of fifteen who gave up his life as a sacrifice to the cause and another came back with only one leg. ------------------------------------------------ Frances (Ball) Turner Vancouver, WA