William Jess Foster

Mentally sharp and ready with a joke William Jess Foster (Bill), age 79, passed peacefully in his sleep at home on the Family ranch early Friday morning, March 9th. Bill was born on June 19, 1932 at St John’s hospital in Helena, Montana to Elizabeth Margaret Miller and Jesse Nelson Foster. His parents farmed and ranched at Clasoil, managed a dance hall (which is easily identified by the old windmill and remains located on Spokane Ranch road) and maintained a residence in East Helena. Times were tough and Bill not only worked on the family farm but also worked for the Hart Ranch in the summers.

Bill graduated from Helena High in 1950, one year ahead of schedule. He and his friends attended a dance at Winston Dance Hall where he met, danced and fell in love with Cincoona “Cindy” Siewert. Their first dance was to the “Tennessee Waltz” and they have been waltzing together ever since. The couple was married at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena on November 11, 1954. At the time of their marriage, Bill was serving in the U.S. Army in Colorado Springs, Colo. Unexpected orders took him to Germany in February 1955 and Cindy went to work for the Montana Highway patrol. Upon Bill’s return from his military service, the couple made their home on the ranch at Clasoil. They had three children: Sharon, born November 1956, Shirley, born November 1958, and William J. Jr. (Chip), born June 1961. Shirley left us way too early and passed away on July 25, 2008.

In 1969, Bill and Cindy moved to an irrigated ranch on Lake Helena Drive. This provided access to quality hay ground and a growing herd of cattle. Besides raising grain, including wheat, barley and oats, Bill was very active in the hog market. In the 1970’s at one point, he had more than twelve-hundred feeder pigs, which he fed ground grain from the farm. Diversification was always one of his preaching points, “When one markets down another may be up.” In the early ‘80s, Bill got out of the hog market and focused on cattle and grain and building up the farm/ranch. Chip and Shirley had gone to M.S.U. and were now following in Bill’s footsteps and together they built the farm/ranch to what it is today. Bill was also proud of the resources he had gleaned from his land which included harvesting timber at Blossberg and gold from Mitchell Creek. He was a true “steward” of the land.

Bill enjoyed hunting and fishing. He would often regale you with stories of his hunting and fishing trips. Family time was important to Bill so every summer the family took a fishing trip to the Big Hole for “brookies” and in the winter they went to Clark Canyon Reservoir to fish for ling. In 1981, Bill and Cindy took the trip of a lifetime, a twenty-one day safari hunt in Zimbabwe, Africa. They traveled throughout South Africa and bagged many trophy animals including: eland, cape buffalo, zebra, impala, water bucks and a wart hog among other things. A healthy completion existed between Bill and Cindy as to who could bag the largest elk. Bill finally won when he shot a six point bull elk which registered a 386 in Boone and Crocket.

Travel was also a joy for Bill and Cindy. Besides going to Africa, they also traveled to: Hawaii for square dancing; San Diego for the — Super Bowl (Bill’s team the Washington Redskins whooped the Denver Broncos); Alaska for salmon and halibut fishing; the Grand Canyon; Las Vegas; and Disney World and Epcot to meet Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, among many other adventures. Bill’s hobbies also included collecting guns, coins and old farm equipment, playing harmonica and piano, and loving liver and white springer spaniel dogs.

Throughout his life Bill had many friendships. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and served as a voted member tor the Agriculture Stabilization Committee Services {ASCS) Office for nine years. Bill will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Chris and Bessie Siewert; brothers-in-law, Grant and Don Siewert and Frank Lang; sister-in-law, Rose Siewert; and his daughter, Shirley. He is survived by his wife, Cindy; daughter, Sharon; and son, Chip.

A Vigil service will be 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Avenue. A Catholic funeral service will be 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at SS. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, 120 W. Riggs Street, East Helena. Memorial in Bill’s name may be sent to the Lewis & Clark Humane Society, P.O. Box 4455, Helena, MT 59604 or The VFW Post 10010, P.O. Box 87 East Helena, MT 59635. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.aswfuneralhome.com

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