James Edward Teal Foster

James Edward Teal Foster of Llano, Texas, died Monday, December 20, 2021, at age 96. He was born September 1, 1925, to Thomas Lafayette and Zula Fox Foster at home in Spanish Fort, Texas.

His father was killed in an oilfield accident when Jim was very young, so he was especially close to his grandparents, James L. Foster, who had been a cowboy on the Chisholm Trail, and Laura Foster, who was Cherokee, and Maynard and Mattie Fox, who were among the first settlers in Spanish Fort.

Jim joined the Army at 18 and was a 19-year-old infantryman in Patton’s Third Army in the Battle of the Bulge. He went on to serve in the Army of Occupation in Germany and attended sessions of the Nuremberg trials. Even though he received a Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star, Jim rarely spoke of his Army experiences until his children arranged for him to go to Washington, D.C. on the Honor Flight. He came back with a World War II Veteran cap, which he wore every time he left the house, and a willingness to talk about the war.

After leaving the Army, Jim returned to Texas and settled in Andrews, where he made a career in the oil fields. He married Joyce Stewart in Andrews in 1948. They just celebrated their 73rd anniversary.

After many years in Andrews, the family moved to Perryton, Texas. Jim began as a roughneck with Standard Oil and retired in 1986 as a district superintendent with Cotton Petroleum. After they had retired, Jim and Joyce moved to Llano, settling into their dream house on a creek where they enjoyed the beauty of the Hill Country. They traveled extensively, even going on a cruise down the Rhine, which Jim said was a lot different from his first trip there during the war in 1945.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Stanley, and his sisters Charline Smith and Glenys Goolsby. He is survived by his wife Joyce, his daughters Alana Foster and Karen Newby of Burnet, his son James Jr. of Houston, his brother Tom Foster of Georgetown, numerous nieces and nephews, and his granddaughter and two great grandchildren.

A graveside service for family was held on December 28, 2021 in Spanish Fort.

Throughout his life Jim Foster helped others in need. The family asks that in lieu of flowers or monetary donations to charities, those wishing to honor his memory donate an hour of their time to a charitable cause in the coming year.

Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, Burnet, Texas.