Mrs. Laura Mae Foss, 96, of Morris, passed away Saturday morning, Oct. 20, 2012, at Walnut Grove Healthcare Center in Morris with her loving family by her side.
Born Feb. 20, 1916, in Goose Lake Township, Grundy County, Laura was a daughter of Carl (Otis) and Josephine (Rifflard) Phillips. She received her education at the Thumb School in Wauponsee Township. Her mother passed away when she was 9 yrs. old and she became homemaker for her five siblings, her father and the farm help.
Laura married Gordon Foss on Sept. 6, 1941, at the First Baptist Church in Morris. They resided for more than 50 years on her father Otis Phillip’s farm in Wauponsee Township, where they operated a dairy and grain farm.
She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church. During her many years as a farmwife, she enjoyed square dancing with neighbors in the Wauponsee Twirlers, meetings with the Wauponsee Homemakers and the Wauponsee Township Patchin’ Club and teaching her 4-H’ers to sew and cook.
Laura Mae was employed for several years at Marben’s Men Store in Morris, doing alterations and at the eastbound rest area on Interstate 80 as an information hostess.
She enjoyed cooking, sewing, crocheting and counted cross-stitch. In later years, in spite of failing eyesight, she completed large cross-stitch brides for each of her six granddaughters, which brought her top honors at Corn Festival.
Laura enjoyed enjoyed traveling with her husband in their motorhomes, which took them to all 50 states, but she particularly relished the times when she was surrounded by her family.
Survivors include their four children, Nancy Foss and Doug (Yvonne) Foss, both of Morris, Dennis (Mary Ann Varland) Foss of Hannibal, Mo., and Anita Chapple of Carmel Valley, Calif.; 10 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one great, great-granddaughter; one sister, Norma Mathes of Marseilles; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 71 years, who died on Oct. 1, 2012; one sister, Ethel Mitchell; three brothers, Edwin, Otis and Russel Phillips.
Visitation will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at Fruland Funeral Home, 121 W. Jefferson in Morris.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at the First Baptist Church, 1650 W. U.S. 6 in Morris. Pastor Steve Larson will officiate.
Private interment will be held at a later date in Sample Cemetery.
Memorials may be directed in Laura’s memory to the Betty J. Sterritt Nursing Scholarship at the Morris Hospital.
Fruland Funeral Home, 121 W. Jefferson St., in Morris, is in charge of arrangements. For more information, call the funeral home at (815) 942-0700 or sign the private online guestbook at www.frulandfuneralhome.com.
