NEVIN  M.  FOSTER

AGE  84

BIRTH:  December 30, 1935,

Big Springs, Texas

DEATH:  July 9, 2020,

Granbury, Texas

Nevin was the son of George P. and Lorene Laroque Foster. He grew up in Clyde, TX  and graduated in 1954.  After attending UT (always a Longhorn fan) he moved to Jal, NM and went to work for El Paso Natural Gas Company in their field gang. He soon moved up the ladder to welder’s helper, promoted to switcher in the Field Maintenance Dept., then daylight field operations.  In 1980 he was transferred to Monahans, TX as field sub-foreman, then to Goldsmith. TX. He was promoted to District Field Superintendent and transferred to Carlsbad, NM where he retired in 1993 after 38 years of service.

He met his love in Jal, NM. Not much to do in the small town so one Friday night he went and played Bingo.  Saw a young girl and liked what he saw. He called her sister, who she was living with, and he took Kathy to Kermit, TX for a coke. About five months later they were married and would have celebrated 55 years this year.

A dark cloud in his early years was really missing his two little girls, Cindy and Sandra.  Seeing them only one month per year was not enough.  We  were so glad to see them when they came to visit.

While in Jal (25 years) he was an outstanding community worker: serving on the city council and helping the city to acquire the Jal Lake.  He held offices and served on various boards and committees: the Jaycees, and as Chairman of the Jal Chamber of Commerce Industrial Development Committee, and member of the Booster Club and was on the School Advisory Council.

Nevin also helped with the youth.  As a member of the Jaycees, he was Tournament Director and official starter of their annual Gas Capital Relays. He was a Girl Scout Fund raiser, a Little League coach and served as league President. While he was President, Jal hosted the Little League District Tournament for the first time in Jal history.  Because of his outstanding leadership he was able to get restrooms built, fields revamped and updated to meet the district specifications.  Nevin also served as director of the Jal Babe Ruth District Tournament.

Nevin always enjoyed repairing and restoring old furniture and antiques.  He and Kathy enjoyed going to antique auctions and finding bargains. For a short time while living in Monahans they had an antique store.  After being transferred to Goldsmith he rekindled his love for golf and gardening.  He enjoyed seeing things grow.

He was later promoted to District Field Superintendent and moved in 1985 to Carlsbad, NM.  Here he continued his woodworking on a lower scale with a little golf thrown in and having a bigger garden every year and sharing it with others.

Nevin loved entertaining; telling stories, jokes, and just making people laugh.  His humor was dry and unique. He took a Dale Carnegie course to make him a better speaker, and became interested in Toastmasters, which gave him the opportunity to enter speech contests both area and district.  He entered all he could and won several trophies for tall tales, humorous, speech and others.

After fishing with his brother and brother-in law, he got hooked and needed a pontoon boat to use on the Carlsbad Lake.  Daughter Cindy became his fishing buddy.  One time she (now in her 20’s)  came for a fishing trip to Proctor Lake.  Plans were to leave at 4:00 AM.  About 1:00 AM Nevin came and woke us all up.  He said there was ice on the ground and we needed to leave now.  We got to the pickup and sure enough there was ice on the ground.  In one little spot, he had emptied the ice out of our ice chest.  We were at Proctor before they opened.

These trips became one reason we retired here in Granbury.  Nevin wanted to see trees, see rain coming straight down, smell bacon cooking outside, and be on the water.  When he was bringing the boat down our canal for the first time he said he felt like he was in hog heaven.

One always likes to put their own stamp on their home.  So he and brother-in-law, Jack, extended the dock and patio roof.  They also built a 2 car carport with attached small shop.  The double car garage was already full of woodworking tools and machines.

Nevin volunteered at the Granbury Visitor’s Bureau and became acquainted with Mary Kate.  She soon had him giving city trolley tours.  She took him and Kathy to all the county cemeteries.  Nevin was always a history buff.  Mary Kate got him involved with giving tours of Granbury’s Old Jail.  His woodworking skills came in handy as he repaired and restored some of the old displays, etc.  He also built two tall red oak display cabinets and what he was most proud of was the red oak carrousel display believed to be still in use.

Nevin also designed and built his and Kathy’s 4 piece bedroom suit and a replica of an old school house which is displayed in the Cresson museum.

Nevin was an active member of the Granbury Church of Christ.  He served in their pantry (before the CSC was built) and he was a Bible class leader and greeter until his health failed.  He help start the Talent/no Talent skits to raise money for the pantry and others.  He always said he was the no talent.

He & Kathy are so glad to have Cindy living closer now.  We’re very proud of her and her accomplishments.  She’s a lot like her dad.  Nevin was always glad to help others.  He was a good husband, good daddy, a good Christian man, and will be missed so much.

Preceding his death were his parents, brothers Gene Foster, Earl Roberts, and sister Iva Lou Foster, nephew Jeff Roberts.

Service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Granbury Church of Christ with interment in Holly Hills Memorial Park. He will lie in state from 12 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Wiley Funeral Home.

SURVIVED  BY

WIFE  Kathy Foster

DAUGHTERS

Cindy Carter, Sandra Foster

DAUGHTER-IN-LAW  Ann Roberts

NIECES & SPOUSES

Lisa & Kevin Whatley,

Kathryn & Vic Akers, Deborah Roberts

NEPHEWS

Joe Foster, Ken & Paulette Roberts