Julia Elisabeth Foster

Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, Julia (Betty) Elisabeth Foster passed away peacefully on June 12, 2026, at age 98, leaving behind a legacy of love that will continue for generations.

Julia was born on February 6, 1928, in Schuyler County, Illinois. She moved to Peoria and began her career as a switchboard operator for AT&T.

In 1950, she married Arvis Foster and their 64-year marriage was filled with five children, travel, and a successful business.

Julia worked side-by-side with her husband at their full-service gas station on the corner of Sterling and Forest Hill in Peoria. While Arvis worked on cars, Julia pumped gas and took care of the customers.

She was a collector of people and treasures. Few holidays went by that an extra guest wasn’t invited to the table. She loved going to auctions, where she found antiques, books, and vintage items. Almost every weekend for decades, Arvis and Julia would travel to flea markets to set up their wares. People would come to shows, like Spoon River Drive, just to see her. Julia herself collected Santas and turkeys of all kinds, from cookie jars to figurines. Christmas was her favorite time of year and the decorations both inside and out served as glowing proof. In later years, you could find her sitting in her rocking chair, reading a book, doing word search puzzles, or watching her favorite game shows.

Julia also took her civic responsibilities seriously. She was the longest-serving election judge for her precinct, served as a trustee on the Norwood Village Board, and was a school board member for Norwood District #63. She voted in every Presidential election from her 21st birthday until she passed away.

But most of all, Julia loved her family. She is survived by three children, Rebecca Jaramillo of Newport News, VA, Susan Foster of Marion, IA, and Randall (Bettina) Foster of Mapleton, IL; five grandchildren, Julia (Brian) Sullivan of MD, Sara (James) Dunbar of VA, Samuel Foster of IL, Deanna Horton of Ireland, and Andrew Horton of IA; and four great-grandchildren, Liam, Rory, Rosie, and Briley. She was preceded in death by her parents, Beulah and Marvin Downs, siblings, Homer Downs, Erma Downs, Marvin Downs, and Maxine Shelts, her husband, Arvis Foster, and two daughters Elisabeth Foster-Pena and Anita Anderson.

Her kindness, generosity, and sense of humor touched everyone fortunate enough to know her. You met her as a stranger but left as a friend. She will be missed.

In memory of Julia and her tradition of inviting others to the table to share a meal, donations may be made to your local food bank.