Foster Cemetery - Umatilla County, Oregon


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Transcribed and formatted for use in USGenWeb Archives by:Penny Rodighiero

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 Foster Cemetery is located in the NW ¼ of SE ¼ of Sec. 5, T3N R29E, Umatilla 
 County. It can be found by taking the road that is at an opening in the bridge
 that crosses the Umatilla River on U.S. Hwy. 30. It is about 500 yards north of
 the bridge and nestles between a large irrigation ditch (Federal Ditch) and the
 railroad. Several tombstones are standing in some high 
sagebrush, several have been broken and many missing. Two coffin size holes were
visible (1965) in the west central part of the existing cemetery. Any wooden 
markers have been lost. There is a fence along the railroad and on the north 
side next to an alfalfa field. The original cemetery boundaries may have been 
larger than the existing area. 

 In 1937 as a WPA project M. Sophia Robertson listed Foster Cemetery, as 
 abandoned and located on land owned by George Atterbury. She also stated 
 that the graves occupied about an acre of land, with a few old picket fences 
 surrounding some of the lots. In 1937 the graves still having markers, in 
 various stages of decay, were listed as follows: 
 
  Lousia A. Yerxa, wife of R.I. Yerxa 
  b. October 22, 1841 
  d. March 23, 1886 
  Martha J. Lisle 
  d. February 22, 1884 (not found in 1963) 
  S.P. Robertson 
  b. March 28, 1824 
  d. October 16, 1864 (only the dates were readable in 1963) 
  Mary A. Coffman 
  d. June 30, 1875 Aged 53 years 1 mo. 2 days 

  Thomas, son of David & Mary A. Coffman 
  d. January 9, 1880 Aged 25 years 
  (not found in 1963) 

  Andrew J. Oliver 
     b. February 26, 1856 
     d. May 11, 1871 (not found in 1963) 

     Andrew P. Tribble 
     d. 1872 Aged 49 years 
     (1963 record shows d. January 28, 1872, aged 49 years 5 months 29 days) 

     Patrick Tribble 
     d. 1880 Aged 30 years 
          (not found in 1963, could this be Patrick H. Tripte (?))
          In 1870 census aged 21 b. MO., 
          living with Allen Tripte (?) Aged 57 b. MO. (?) 

          David Miller 
          d. June 18, 1879 Aged 43 years 
          (not found in 1963) 

          Jonathan Raley 
          d. April 25, 1877 Aged 48 years 
          (not found in 1963) 

          Lavina Beaver 
          b. 1834 
          d. 1913 
          (marked as “latest burial on WPA, not found in 1963) 

          Mary W. Allen 
          b. November 5, 1863 
          d. January 5, 1873 
          (1963 only dates were readable) 

          Mary C., wife of A.V. Oliver 
          d. May 19, 1873 Aged 21 years 

          Memory of Polly, wife of Charles Riggs 
          b. May 21, 1813 
          d. January 10, 1880 
          "We know she will rise again"

In 1963 Mrs. Nana McFaul of Echo, Oregon copied the tombstone records of this 
cemetery. She was unable to locate several of the above mentioned, however she 
did locate the following not listed in the WPA record: 

  Shapleigh Geiger 
  b. August 6, 1826 Moscow, Lincoln Co., MO. 
  d. August 24, 1882 
  James, son of Henry and Libbie Baumgardner 
  b. April 6, 1881 
  d. January 5, 1885 (95?) 
  (1965 grave is now surrounded by a pipe framework) 
  Martha L., wife of James Taylor 
  b. September 30, 1850 
  d. July 29, 1890 
  Susan H., wife of James Taylor 
  (cannot read dates, probably the Susan H., wife of James Taylor, age 36 b. MO.
  In 1870 census, James Taylor is said to have married 3 times) 
  James Taylor 
  b. January 4, 1824 
  d. March 11, 1901 
  Masonic Emblem on stone 
  Marcus Johnson 
  d. February 6, 1887 
  Cynthia A., wife of David Mitchell 
  b. February 3, 1800 
  d. January 10, 1881 
  (1870 census, Cynthia Ann Mitchell, age 70 b. KY. Was living with David J. Mitchell 
age 34 b. KY.) 

     Lenore, wife of John Mitchell 
  b. February 16, 1828 
  d. July 26, 1884 
  Cora E. ___________ 
  b. March 16, 1863 
  d. December 26, 1886