Lola "Vonnie" Foster

Lola "Vonnie" Foster, 83 passed away at the Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon, SD on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

Service of Remembrance will be Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Indian Creek Lutheran Church south of Meadow, SD.  Burial will follow at Gallaway Cemetery near Meadow.  Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 3, 2025 at the Faith Area Memorial Chapel of Evanson Jensen Funeral Homes in Faith, SD.

Lola Lavonne “Vonnie” Foster of Meadow, SD passed away peacefully December 31, 2024. Vonnie was born October 26th 1941 to Alwyn and Bernadette Rose.

Vonnie was a life-long Perkins County resident. Her early childhood was spent at the ranch on Rabbit Creek.  When it was time to start school her parents bought and operated Rose’s Red and White, a general store in Meadow so they could attend Meadow Central School.

When she advanced to high school she boarded in town and graduated from Lemmon High School in1959. She then went to one year of college at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Vonnie married Joseph “Randy” Foster on July 21, 1960. They moved to the Foster ranch on Thunder Butte Creek where they raised their children. They welcomed their daughter Stacy in May of 1961 followed by two sons Rusty in Dec, 1962 and Ace in May, 1965.

Vonnie ranched along with Randy and also cooked and waitressed at Granny’s Café in Faith starting in 1976 until she started working at the Meadow post office in 1988 until she retired in 2013.

Vonnie was involved with many different organizations and boards. She was a founding member of the Rough & Ready 4-H club. She was involved with the Sagebrush Rustlers Extension Community Club and Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. She held positions on the Foster Township Board, Meadow Cemetery Board, Three Rivers Mental Health, Indian Creek Lutheran Church Council and a member of the Meadow Area Historical Society that published the “100 Year History of Meadow”.

Vonnie enjoyed sewing and making quilts. She could always be found at Indian Creek Church putting quilts together and enjoying fellowship with ladies in the community that came together.

She also tried her hand successfully at leather tooling, upholstery, and anything else she put her mind too.

Vonnie became “special” friends with Ron Bachman. They enjoyed attending different events, cooking for each other, and playing cribbage together. At the sale barn lobby Ron asked Julie if she thought Vonnie would say yes to a date. Their first date was at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

When you stopped to visit at Vonnie’s she always had the coffee ready, FREE ice water, and you were not allowed to leave hungry.  

Vonnie loved to watch her children and grandchildren participate in various sports, activities and rodeos.  It did not matter the weather or the miles she would be out in the cold in her red snow suit or later the black one or dressed up for the occasion at hand.

Vonnie lived in the same house that she designed and Randy built until 2023. Due to declining physical ability she moved to Dolan Creek in Sturgis, SD. She continued to receive many visitors and phone calls so she was able to stay up to date with the news along the creek.  When Stacy would call and ask about her day in later years she was often “ranchin’ from the window”.

Vonnie was never afraid to say what she thought!

Vonnie is survived by her daughter; Stacy (Brian) Boomgaarden, her son’s; Rusty (Julie) Foster, and Ace (Heidi) Foster, 11 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren with 3 more on the way, sister; Evelyn (Jim) Reed, brother; Les (Cheryl Garrison) Rose. She had a big extended family that she loved and many dear friends.

Vonnie was preceded in death by her husband; Randy, parents Alwyn & Bernadette Rose, 2 brothers-in-law Donald Foster, Robert Foster and a sister-in-law Bonnie Haynes and special friend; Ron Bachman.

“I Love You but remember Jesus loves you more.”-Vonnie Foster