Mary Louise Foster, 91, who recently returned to her home in Connersville after 
spending fifty-six years in West Lafayette, Indiana, passed away peacefully on 
Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at Caroleton Manor following a brief illness.

She was born in Fayette County on February 18, 1921 to Harlie and Ella Huber 
Foster.  She grew up in the Harrisburg area, graduating from Harrisburg High 
School in 1939.  She went on to study Home Economics at Purdue University, where 
she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1942 and a Master’s in 1950.  After 
teaching at several local high schools, including the first home economics class 
for boys at Harrisburg High, she returned to Purdue in 1955 to join the faculty 
as a Family and Consumer Sciences professor.

Mary continued to make her mark at Purdue for almost sixty more years.  She 
lived in Brazil from 1960 until 1965 to oversee Purdue’s development of the Home 
Economics program at the University of Vicosa.  Her educational legacy lives on 
in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerals, Sao Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul.  For 
her dedication, Purdue honored Mary with several awards, including the Helen B. 
Schleman Gold Medallion Award in 2000, which recognized her tireless work with 
women at Purdue, and the Special Boilermaker Award from the Purdue Alumni 
Association in 2005.  Her commitment also established the Mary Louise Foster 
Scholarship.  Perhaps her most rewarding experience were the countless hours 
that “Mary Lou” (as she was known to the students) spent teaching and later 
advising the Health and Human Sciences undergraduates in the subjects she 
dedicated her life to promoting.

Family was extremely important to Mary.  She never missed sending cards on 
birthdays, anniversaries and other important events.  She loved to receive cards 
and letters herself.  Her sweet nature and quick wit will be fondly missed by 
her brother-in-law Clarence Fischer, a niece Nancy (William) Rentfrow, nephews 
Michael (Pamela) Marcum, Kenneth (Theresa) Fischer, Patrick (Gail) Marcum, 
Robert (Cathie) Fischer and Tim Sweney, a cousin William (Shannie) Thomas and 
her sixteen great-nephews and nieces and eighteen great-great-nephews and 
nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents and twin sisters, Marjorie Fischer and 
Martha Marcum, an uncle Sherman Foster, two aunts, Louise Thomas and Frances 
Brookbank, and a niece, Joann Sweney.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11AM Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 
Miller, Moster, Robbins Funeral Home; burial will be Dale Cemetery – family and 
friends may call at the Funeral Home 5 to 8PM Friday and 10AM until the time of 
the service on Saturday; they may also visit anytime online at 
millermosterrobbins.com<http://millermosterrobbins.com>

Memorial contributions may be made to the Mary Louise Foster Scholarship at 
Purdue University in care of The College of Health and Human Sciences Student 
Council.