John R. Foster Biography


	This biography appears on pages 260-261 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN R. FOSTER.  

	John R. Foster, who has been a resident of Minnehaha county for 
more than four decades, was long and successfully identified with 
agricultural pursuits here and still owns four hundred acres of 
productive land in Benton township. He is now living retired at Sioux 
Falls, enjoying the fruits of his former labor in well earned ease. His 
birth occurred in Stormont county, Ontario, Canada, on the 23d of 
January, 1851, his parents being Robert and Lilly Foster, of Irish 
descent. In 1865 they crossed the border into the United States, took 
up their abode in Wisconsin and there remained until 1872, v hen they 
came to South Dakota with horses and oxen, arriving in this state on 
the 3d of October. Robert Foster homesteaded a tract of land in Benton 
township, Minnehaha county, and continued its cultivation successfully 
until he passed away in 1886 at the age of sixty-seven years. The 
demise of his wife occurred in 1911, when she had attained the age of 
ninety-one years. They were among the early pioneer residents of the 
state. On the 7th of January, 1873, a brother and sister of our 
subject, aged respectively fourteen and twelve years, went a short 
distance from home and soon afterward a blizzard came up suddenly. The 
children wandered in the storm to an old sod house which stood out on 
the prairie and there sought shelter from the driving snow. However, as 
the house was roofless it afforded but poor protection against the 
blizzard and the children perished, their bodies being buried in the 
snow. Our subject and the father were absent from home at the time. 
Weeks passed and in spite of continued searching the bodies of the 
children were not found, but in March a neighbor dreamed that the 
children were in the old house and on the 16th of that month their 
bodies were found there.  

	John R. Foster acquired his education in the-common schools and 
early became familiar with the work of the fields by assisting his 
father in the operation of the home farm. He homesteaded a tract of 
land in Benton township which is still in his possession and has 
extended the boundaries of the place by purchase until it now comprises 
four hundred acres. Success has attended his undertakings as an 
agriculturist in gratifying degree. His sole possessions at the time of 
his arrival in this state consisted of a yoke of cattle and sixty two 
and a half dollars in cash. He did not own a wagon. By dint of 
industry, perseverance and energy he gradually accumulated a competence 
and at length, finding it increasingly difficult to secure competent 
help, he retired from the farm. He and his wife and daughter then 
removed to California but soon returned to South Dakota and in 1914 he 
purchased a residence on Covell avenue, where he has since made his 
home.  

	In 1886 at Hartford Mr. Foster was united in marriage to Miss 
Jennie Forney, who was born in Pennsylvania but who, when seventeen 
years old, came to South Dakota with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. J. 
Forney, pioneers of the state. In their family were seven children. Mr. 
and Mrs. Foster have three children: Harold E., a farmer of Benton 
township; Goldie M., who is the wife of C. G. Hall, of Wayne township, 
Minnehaha county; and Vina I., at home.  

	In politics Mr. Foster is independent, preferring not to be bound 
by party ties in performing his duties of citizenship. The cause of 
education finds in him a stanch champion and he has served as a member 
of the school board for many years. His religious faith is that of the 
Methodist church, while fraternally he is identified with the Masons, 
belonging to Hartford Lodge, A. F. & A. M. Throughout the entire period 
of his residence in Minnehaha county and South Dakota he has 
contributed in substantial measure to community growth and upbuilding, 
and his leisure is the reward of many years of earnest and faithful 
labor.