Foster, Rolla

FOSTER, KLEIN, BOYER, GLADFELDER, TOMLIN, HINER

Posted By: Annette Lucas (email)
Date: 4/15/2022 at 11:18:47

Source: Page 1 of Monroe County News, published in Albia, Iowa on Tuesday, October 16th, 1990

Former Albia principal Rolla Foster dead at 84
Longtime Albia educator Rolla Foster, former Albia High School principal died Sunday, Oct. 14, at his home.
Foster was principal at Albia High School from 1938 to 1972, when he retired from education.
He started his teaching career just after his high school graduation in 1925, but never intended to keep up with it. In an interview in February, Foster said he wanted to teach for a few years "to collect a little money and get into business.
"I never collected enough money to get started farming," Foster had said. "Then the opportunity came up to go to college."
Foster started teaching in rural schools on an eight-month contract at $65 per month. He held the job for five years before starting college. He said in the February interview that he "worked day and night at a gas station" to raise the money to pay the $100 per year tuition to college.
Upon completion of college, Foster was hired by the Albia Schools to teach at Lincoln School. After teaching four years, Foster was appointed principal at Lincoln School and served there for four years, before moving to the high school as principal.
In February Foster was quoted as saying, "Since I retired, I never go anywhere that I don't see someone who says 'hi' because they know me from school. There are several nurses here (the Monroe Care Center, where Foster had lived since August, 1989,) and at the hospital who still call me Mr. Foster from school."
As an educator Foster was a member of several education organizations, including the National education Association, the Iowa State Education association, and Albia teacher Association. He also served on the Albia Planning and Zoning Commision.
Foster's wife of 51 years, Pauline, preceded him in death. He is survived by a son, John Foster, a daughter, Greta Klein, two grandchildren and three sisters.
Obituary from Page 5:
Rolla E. Foster, 84, of Albia died Oct. 14, 1990, at Monroe County Hospital in Albia. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church in Albia, the Rev. David Stout officiating. burial will be in Oak View Cemetery in Albia.
He was born July 29, 1906, in Moravia to John s. and Basha Boyer Foster. He was a teacher at the Albia High School beginning in 1925. He was later promoted to high school principal in 1938, a position he retired from in 1972. He was a 48-year member of Lions Club, National Education Association, Iowa State Education Association, Albia Teachers Association and the Albia Planning and Zoning Commission. He married Pauline Dotts in 1937. She died Nov. 22, 1988.
He is survived by a son, John S. of Livermore, Calif.; a daughter, Greta Lynn Klein of Sunnyvale, Calif.; two grandchildren; and three sisters, Rissie Gladfelder of Moravia, Roma Tomlin of Albia and Esther Hiner of Moravia.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister.
Memorials may be made to the Rolla Foster/Peggy Hope Scholarship Fund.