Vernon Foster

Vernon was a truck driver by trade, driving big rigs from coast to coast. In 1963, he went to work for Texas Industrial Laundry, which is now Unifirst. There Vernon found a home, making friends on his routes in Clovis, New Mexico, Hobbs, New Mexico, Amarillo, Texas; and of course, the folks in the Lubbock plant. He stayed on the job for 47 years, driving one million, eight hundred, and sixty-five thousand miles, with no tickets or accidents. The friendships he made in the beginning have lasted through the years and continued until Vernon left his earthly home.

Vernon was a friend to everyone he met. He would help anyone who needed assistance with money, with food, with clothing, with a ride somewhere, or even a place to stay. There were times people would take advantage of his good nature, but Vernon never got angry. He would always say he was just doing what God wanted him to do.

Although Vernon never married, he was the patriarch and rock of his family. In 1944, Vernon’s father died, and Vernon immediately took on the responsibility of head of the household at 15 years of age. He stepped up to take care of this mother, which he did until her death in 1967. Through the years, he took care of his six sisters when they became widows. He made sure all his nieces and nephews had what they needed; getting to school on time; learning to drive; taking us all on adventures in his big truck and letting us blow the air horn. He spent hours entertaining us and clowning around with us; telling funny stories, playing his guitar and singing Johnny Cash songs. He always had a pocket full of coins, for the ice cream man when he came by.

Vernon was a man of great faith. He prayed earnestly and continually for his family and friends. He read the Bible faithfully and quoted from it often. He believed there was a scripture for every situation. There was never a time we were not in his prayers. He ended his conversations with us with ” I’ll be praying for you.”

His parents, Joseph and Nancy, brothers, Baby Jim and George Dewey; sisters: Emma, Nora, Edith, Ethel, Bonnie, Willie, Flora, Maudie and Sadie preceded him in death.

Those left to honor Vernon’s memory are 11 nieces and 5 nephews; numerous great and great-great nieces, and nephews and many friends

So now, it has come time to say good-bye to you, Uncle Vernon. We thank you for the lessons you taught us; for your support and encouragement; for your faith in us when we had none in ourselves; for your prayers on our behalf, but most of all for you unconditional love.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.resthavenfuneralhome.com for the Foster family.