Carolyn Elizabeth Foss 79, of Malta, IL passed away at home on September 12, 2009 after a valiant battle with lymphoma and Alzheimer's. She was born a week after Black Friday, November 5, 1929, to John Venner and Nellie Potts Griffin in Arlington, TX. Her twin brother died at birth. She grew up on the family farm that was settled in the 1840s near Arlington until moving to Ft. Worth when she was 12. She began working at JC Penney in Ft. Worth while still in high school and had been accepted to and planned to start in the nursing program at Baylor University in the fall of 1945.
Through a friend of her sister's she met 1st Lt. Ray. A. Foss while he was stationed at Carswell Airforce Base in Ft. Worth. During WWII she corresponded with Ray while he was piloting missions in the Army Air Corp over Germany based out of Italy. Upon his return to the states they married in her parents' home in Ft. Worth on May 26, 1945. Carolyn and Ray farmed a couple of years near Chana and then moved to the Esmond area where they farmed until Ray's death in 1987.
Her love for animals fit perfectly for a farm wife. She loved caring for her pets, helping with the farming, gardening, canning, sewing, crafts, and helping care for her grandson after her son-in-law passed away. She has one daughter, Linda and one grandson, Shaun. Her pride and joy was her small family.
Carolyn is survived by her daughter Linda Chapman of DeKalb and grandson Shaun of Malta, several nieces and nephews, sister-in-law, Dorothy Foss of Nebraska, and 2 brothers-in-law, Harold Sims of Arlington, TX, and Gertis Friday of Chana, IL, her cousin Mary Louise Lindsey of Arlington, TX and her wonderful caregiver, Fema. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Nellie, husband Ray, sisters Clara Nell and Alta, twin brother John, and son-in-law William Chapman.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Thursday Sept. 17th at Unger-Horner Funeral Home 400 N. 6th Street, Rochelle, IL with visitation on Wed. 4 to 7 p.m. at Unger-Horner. A Memorial fund has been established to DeKalb County Hospice or Alzheimer's Association. Burial will be in Trinity Memory Gardens.