On the most beautiful eve of a waning gibbous moon, Elsie Audrey Enloe Foster peacefully made her transition at approximately 5:20 pm on the 2ndof January 2024 at Wendover Hospice, Shelby, NC. Elsie was born the middle child on April 4th, 1926, in Cleveland County, NC to the late Sherwood Thomas Enloe Sr. and Jennie Lee Friday Enloe. As a small child, little Elsie was affectionately nicknamed "Boots" by her parents. As history has it, Elsie was gifted a pair of fire engine red boots and refused to take them off. Her parents had no choice but to wait until Lil Boots went to sleep to take them off.
Elsie began early education at Cleveland School which at the time was K through 12. Smart, bright, and wise beyond her years, Elsie was promoted two grades higher and was able to graduate high school at the age of 15. After graduation she began studies at North Carolina Teachers College, currently known as North Carolina Central University, where she graduated with a bachelor's and teaching certificate. Upon graduation, Elsie returned to Shelby where she began her teaching career at her alma mater.
After graduating from college at the age of 19, Elsie began her teaching career back in Shelby at Cleveland School. She taught there for a couple of years and then began teaching in Cherryville at John Chavis where she was Senior Advisor and Home Economics teacher. Being so young, she had a special bond with some of her students and they remained friends after they graduated. Some left the area but stayed in touch until they passed. She outlived all her students except one whom continued to call her until she passed.
In 1959, she moved to Philadelphia, PA and continued to work and where her son was born in 1959. Elsie taught in the Philadelphia school system at various Jr. and Sr. high schools. When schools no longer offered home economics she was assigned to other subjects. She took a position as principal at a private vocational school for a few years also. In 1982, she took early retirement to move back to NC permanently, joining her sister in the care of their father.
Elsie had been baptized at an early age at Shiloh Baptist Church. Moving to Philadelphia, she attended Bibleway Baptist Church and enjoyed working with the youth. She was reinstated at Shiloh upon her return to Shelby and enjoyed being a member of the missionary department. Always a snappy dresser, she loved hats, and everything had to be coordinated.
Elsie was preceded in death by her parents, her oldest and only brother, Sherwood Enloe Jr., and her baby sister Gwendolyn Enloe Crump.
Elsie was previously married to Roger Gadston Foster Sr. to which their only two children were born: Cheryl Willson (Oscar) of the home and Roger Foster Jr. (Aprelle) Gary, IN.
Elsie is survived by her 2 children, 4 grandchildren Lauren Tucker Philadelphia PA, India Addison Shelby NC, Leon Foster (Maria) Nashville, TN; Krystle Foster, Marietta, GA; 6 great-grandchildren Jeffrey Lynn Jr. (Kamisha) MD , Launa Clark (Andy) MD, Kylan Hagan, Shelby, NC; Dominique Murphy, IlI, Chicago IL, Cameron Murphy, Marietta, GA, Micheala Foster, Nashville, TN; 3 great-great grandchildren, Jaida, Jeffrey, III and Journee Lynn, Waldorf, MD, and a devoted caretaker, who became family, Latonia Hoey; and Lily her beloved mini schnauzer.
Four nephews: Robert Crump (Traci), Taylor, MI; Sherwood Crump (Jennifer) Ypsilanti, MI; Kevin T. Enloe (Pamela) Cherryville, NC, and Rogers A. Foster (Cenora) Suffolk, VA
One niece, Warra Foster, North Chesterfield, VA
Many cousins in Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia. |
