Joy Ida May Foster

Services will be at a later date.

She was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Paul; three sons, Paul Jr. of Monte Vista, Kent of Grand Junction and Brad of Edwards; one sister, Betty Morrison of Fort Collins; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions to Crossroads Methodist Church, 590 30 Road, Grand Junction 81504.

Joy Ida May Foster

May 27, 1921 - July 16, 2017

Joy was born at the Johnson Ranch west of Molina, CO to Neal B. and Cecelia Culp Johnson. Her middle names were from her grandmothers.

Joy's mother died when Joy was eight. She and her younger sister, Betty, were raised by their dad with the help of hired housekeepers and their grandmother, Ida Johnson. Joy and Betty became the homemakers after Ida's death in 1934.

Joy attended Bull Creek School, Collbran Union High School, and Mesa Jr. College. She graduated in 1941 with a business degree. After college, she went to work as a medical secretary for Dr. Zeigel at the Collbran Community Hospital. Joy went on to help with surgery and other medical procedures.

Joy met her husband, Paul, while working at the hospital. He was home on furlough from the Army during WWII and came to visit a cousin in the hospital. The cousin suggested that Paul take Joy out, so they went to see a movie. They began writing to each other while Paul continued his service in the Army. They were engaged in 1943, and married on June 30, 1945 in Collbran. They recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.

In 1947 they moved to Rifle, Colorado where Paul taught Vocational Agriculture. Their three sons, Paul, Kent, and Brad, were born while they lived there. Joy was active as a Cub Scout den mother, a Sunday School teacher, and a Census Taker. In 1963, Paul was promoted to the State of Colorado Vocational Office in Denver, so they moved to Englewood (now Centennial), Colorado. Joy canned fruit, made pickles, and otherwise preserved the bounty of their suburban garden to enjoy during the winter months. She was an excellent cook and seamstress.

After her sons were in high school, Joy began her art career. She took lessons and diligently improved her painting. She worked in watercolor on handmade paper and painted floral still life, landscapes, and copies of Native American petroglyphs. Joy was a lifetime member of the Colorado Water Color Society, a member of the Littleton Fine Arts Guild and was instrumental in revitalizing the Littleton Train Depot into an art center. With other artists, she founded a cooperative gallery in Georgetown, Colorado, and was an active member for 30 years.

Joy and Paul traveled extensively in the U.S. and abroad. As a lifetime member of the Colorado Rock Art Association, she traveled throughout the Southwest to visit petroglyph sites that she later made into watercolors. Joy loved planning family get-togethers to celebrate holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. She honored her American heritage as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

She is survived by her husband, Paul; sister, Betty Johnson Morrison of Ft Collins; cousin, Irvin (Paula) Johnson of Molina; sons, Paul (Lynda) of Monte Vista; Kent (Cathy) of Grand Junction; Brad (Ellen) of Edwards; six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 29, 2017, at Crossroads Methodist Church, 559 30 Rd., Grand Junction, CO.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Crossroads Methodist Church, 590 30 Rd, Grand Junction, CO 81504 or HopeWest Hospice, 3090B North 12 Street, Grand Junction, CO 81506.

Published in The Daily Sentinel on July 23, 2017

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