Mrs. Charlie Foster

Charlie Earl Foster (you probably knew her as “Charl”,“Chawl” or “Mother Foster”), who was born to the late Telly Nelson and Mamie Lee Frost on March 3, 1931 in Gilbertown, AL, entered eternal life on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

Growing up in Gilbertown, Charlie was a member of the Pineville Baptist Church and its choir. In her spare time, she loved to fish, watch her westerns, cook and clean.

In 1949, she married LC Foster and they had six children: Joyclyn (Thomas) Young, Lewis (Essie) Foster, Reginald Foster, Jacqueline (John) Charleston, Sharon (Walter) Debnam, and Deborah (Vincent) Kittle. Charlie and LC were married for 58 years.  Chawl was predeceased by LC who passed in 2005.

Her spirit lives on in her four surviving children: Joyclyn Young, Lewis Foster, Reginald Foster, and Jacqueline Charleston; her spiritual son, “Thee” Dennis Edney; as well as two of her seven siblings, 11 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other family members, and friends.

Charl relocated with her family to Albany, NY in 1966. A child of God from an early age, she joined Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in 1971 where she served as a deaconess beginning in 1972. She was also a missionary, soloist in the choir, an active Sunday school student, part of the kitchen committee, a church mother, and known for her prayers. She would pray: “If I had 10,000 tongues, I could not thank God enough.”

She did not take fashion advice from anyone. On Sundays, she could be found in a suit, matching hat, shoes, purse, brooch, and earrings. Sometimes she even had on the gloves, and don’t forget about the scarf.  She looked out for her loved ones. If you were fortunate to be a shopping companion, she was sure to buy you whatever you wanted. 

Chawl loved watching game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud. She also watched Judge Judy, but Gunsmoke was her favorite. When she was not watching her shows, she was making her famous German Chocolate or Pineapple Coconut cakes that could have easily sold for $50 a piece, but she made them for free for events, family, and friends. She worked as a housekeeper for 25 years. She knew how to sew and mend clothes and she loved to travel especially to Alabama and Ohio.

We were blessed to learn many valuable lessons from Charlie during her 92 years, among them: “Get over it!” She was a wonderful mother and grandmother. She doted on her family and was her happiest when hosting soul food dinners at her house. 

The woman who loved life and taught her children to 'Serve the Lord' is now safely in the arms of Jesus. She will be missed dearly as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and confidante.

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