Great Grandpa's Reunion

On 1/2/12, Brent's grandpa, Alton Foster, left earth to be reunited with his sweet wife, Elsie.  He was 94 years old.  Even though he lived a very long life and I'm happy for him, I am so sad that he won't be here with us anymore.

For years now, Great Grandpa talked about how much he missed his first wife Elsie. She died almost 30 years ago. Although he remarried shortly after her death, he said it was never the same as his first marriage. Elsie died of cancer and I loved hearing him talk about what a wonderful person she was. I can't wait to meet her someday! But oh how he has missed her. Grandma Foster made him a scrapbook last year for Christmas. The second he opened it and saw a picture of Elsie on the front, he burst into tears.

I can only imagine the sweet reunion that must be going on in heaven now!

My own grandfathers passed away a few years ago so I adopted Great Grandpa as my own!  I loved that he called me "Stephie." No one else could get away with that but coming from him, it was endearing.  He knew all the names of the grandkids and great grandkids and even more importantly, he knew how to make each one feel special.

I have never met a sweeter man.  So many aging people get ornery in their older years, but not Great Grandpa. He always had a smile on his face.  He never complained, even though the last 9 months of his life he was bed ridden.  He didn't like the fact that so many had to help him but I think it was fitting.  He had served so many during his long life, that it was time for others to serve him.

He was sharp as a tack up until the last few weeks of his life.  His memory was great, but he was trapped inside an aging body that was finally failing him.

Kate and Chloe have gone over to the Fosters once a week for a few years now when I go into work.  They have loved going in to visit Great Grandpa and he always had cookies or a treat waiting for them!  It breaks my heart to think about the next time they're over there, and he is not.

Great Grandpa had a talent for wood working.  And we are so blessed for the many things he created and gave us -- the rocking horse, the lantern, gorgeous wooden bowls that he turned, wooden pens...

I think I will most treasure Great Grandpa's testimony.  He bore it to us every chance he got this past year or so.  He would say, "The church is everything!  I don't know where I would be if it weren't for the gospel."  I am so glad that we asked him to write down his testimony a few years ago.  Now we have it in writing to read and re-read since he's gone.

Even though he didn't serve a full-time mission, he was a missionary every day of his life.  When he was able to walk still, he would go to Safeway once a week.  It was not just a grocery trip for him, for he knew every employee there.  He would tell me about the butcher, and the cashiers, and all of the friends he had made there.  He loved to find out about people's lives...were they married, did they have children, did they go to church?  And then he would tell them about the church and the difference it made in his life.

Two weeks before he died, he told me that his care nurse had gone to church for the first time the previous Sunday.  He had talked to her about how she should go.  The nurse responded that she had a Mormon neighbor and she would try and go with her soon.  And she did.

I told Great Grandpa that was the reason he was still on this earth.  He was still being a missionary even at 94 years of age and heaven knew he had work still to do here.  He preached the gospel up until the day he died. 

I'm so grateful that just one week before his passing, we were all together for Christmas.   We all went into his part of the house to visit him. 

He had collected those things that were valuable to him and wanted to pass them out to Brent and his siblings.  He had 10 ties and asked them each to pick out 2.  He gave each one of his hats.  And to Brent he gave his Fire Chief badge.  When he gave it to Brent, he said to him, "You are the luckiest of them all."  Great Grandpa treasured that badge, and I'm sure Brent will too.

Last Monday, Janet called to say he wasn't doing well.  His breathing was not well and he wasn't talking much.  Around noon, he said his last word and made his last request in typical Foster fashion:  "ICE CREAM!"  Janet fed him a bowl of ice cream and that was the last thing he ate.  After that, his eyes rolled back and he didn't seem to be cognizant of what was going on around him.  At one point, he started waving his arm, and Janet said that Elsie must be coming to greet him.

Around 5:20 that evening, he took his last breath here on earth.

Brent and I arrived at his house about an hour after he passed.  The mortuary was getting ready to take his body.  I wanted to see it before they left.  I was amazed at how much it looked nothing like him.  It was simply a shell and testified to me that Great Grandpa was truly living somewhere else.  His body had lasted an amazing 94 years.  But his spirit has moved on for eternity.

The night of his viewing, the Fosters all gathered back at the house for the best tribute ever.  Thury bought 24 half gallons of ice cream, and the scooping began.  In grandpa's memory, they built the tallest mountain of ice cream which they named Mt. Alton!  I think the grandkids will forever remember this tribute they got to partake in!

Last year, when we thought he wasn't going to make it much longer, I told Great Grandpa how exciting it will be when he can be our guardian angel on the other side.  I told him he'd better send us some signs that he's watching out for us and helping miracles to occur from the other side.  It's comforting to know that he IS up there looking out for us now. 

And I'm overjoyed that he is no longer in pain.  He is with the love of his life.  And I know he's continuing to do missionary work on the other side. 

Thank you, Great Grandpa, for all you have taught us by your example here on earth.  You are loved!