Britton - The funeral for Mirl Foster will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, at the First Lutheran Church of Britton, with burial in the Britton Cemetery. Rev. Sarah Sorensen will officiate. Visitation will be 12 to 6 p.m. Monday, March 7, at Price Funeral Chapel of Britton and one hour preceding the funeral at the church Tuesday. Mr. Foster died Friday, March 4, 2005, at Marshall County Healthcare Center in Britton at the age of 84. Mirl Alonzo Foster was born Feb. 17, 1921 at Meckling, S.D. to Alonzo and Wanda (Hartshorn) Foster. He moved with his family to the Claremont, S.D. area in 1937, and graduated from Claremont High School in 1939. He took up farming with his father. They moved to a farm south of Britton in 1940. On June 12, 1949, he married Eunice Gronseth. They lived on that same farm and raised their family. In 1979, they retired from farming and moved to Britton. Mirl was a member of First Lutheran Church of Britton, and had served on the church council. He was the Waverly Township Treasurer for many years. Always active in politics, he served as chairman of the Marshall County Democrat Party. He was a 60-year member of the Masonic Lodge, and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was the president of the Fun After Fifty club, a “second home” after retiring. Mirl greatly enjoyed going to family reunions, his trips to Alaska, and attending his grandchildren's activities. Mirl is survived by his wife of 55 years, Eunice Foster of Britton; two sons: Curtis (Janice) Foster of Britton; Richard (Dianne) Foster of Breckenridge, Minn.; one daughter: Joanne (Ronald) Flamand of Sherwood Park, Alberta; eight grandchildren; and a sister, Gay Ogren of Langford. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, David Foster in August 1972; two brothers: Forrest and Hollis; and three sisters: Lucille, Velva and Gerry. Music will be presented by organist Mark Gronseth, violinist Angela Flamand and soloist Ronald Flamand. Casketbearers will be Kirk, Jason, Patrick and Brian Foster, Mike Neumiller, Don Ogren and Tim Gronseth.
Published in the Aberdeen News on 3/7/2005.