Mary Evelyn Petree Foster

FOSTER, MARY EVELYN PETREE - died at University of Tennessee Medical Center, following a brief illness, on January 29, 2008. She was the widow of E. Bruce Foster, her husband of 55 years, who died in 1989. Mary Evelyn was born in Norton, VA on March 7, 1909, the daughter of Ethel Perry Petree and L. H. Petree. She moved with her family to Knoxville at an early age, and lived here for the rest of her life. Mary Evelyn was educated in public schools in Knoxville and Knox County, and was a graduate of Central High School. She attended Virginia Interment College, and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a liberal arts degree. Midway of her college years, she taught at Powell High School for a time, and remembered it as awkward that "those big old high school boys" were almost as old as she was. At the University, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, and made friendships that lasted a lifetime. Mary Evelyn was honored by being named a Torchbearer, a Volunteer Beauty and Miss Tennessee in 1932. There, she also met E. Bruce, and they were married after his graduation from law school in 1934. (The Petree family lived for many years north of Fountain City on Maynardville Pike, and E. Bruce was fond of saying that he first saw Mary Evelyn running barefoot across Black Oak Ridge.) Her career as a wife, homemaker and helpmate was intensified during the time that E. Bruce served in the Army during WWII, and she was able to look to her birth family for help during that time. She was one of six children in the Petree family, where love and support for family members were the standard, and her own children were blessed by those relationships. Both of her parents were members of large families, and knowing and visiting cousins was a strong family tradition carried on in later generations. In addition to bearing and raising a son and two daughters, Mary Evelyn was a very active and devoted member of her church, a faithful member of PEO and a participant in several garden clubs. A lifelong interest in knitting resulted in her producing various types of woolen garments for the Allied troops during WWII, and continued after the war ended. An avid reader, she also studied French and Spanish into her 90's and tackled crossword and other puzzles regularly, in the belief that exercising the mind kept it strong and active. Mary Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents, Ethel and L.H. Petree; her devoted and much-loved husband, E. Bruce Foster, Sr.; her youngest daughter, Lyn F. Scales; a granddaughter, Mary Katherine Stone; one sister, Mildred Petree; three brothers, Charles Petree, James Petree and Earl Petree; and a niece, Barbara White. She is survived by daughter, Lee F. Monroe and husband, Bill, of Norris, TN; son, E. Bruce Foster, Jr. and wife, Betsy, of Knoxville; granddaughter, Bailey Foster and partner, Marcia Tobin, of San Francisco, CA; granddaughter, Meg Stone, of Austin, TX; grandson, Benjamin Foster of Monterey, CA; great grandson, Henry Foster-Tobin, of San Francisco, CA; sister, Virginia P. Grogan of Jacksonville, FL; sister-in-law, Evelyn Petree of Spotsylvania, VA; nieces, Anne Tarzier and husband, Tim, of Spotsylvania, VA, Susan Harvey and husband, Tom of Atlanta, GA, Janet Wilhelm and husband, Tracy of Fair Hope, AL and Katy Petree of Knoxville; nephews, Mac Grogan and wife, Virginia of Richmond, VA, John Grogan and wife, Mary Ann of Jacksonville, FL and Joe Grogan of Los Angeles, CA; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews; and numerous cousins. Following interment, a service of thanksgiving for and celebration of the life of Mary Evelyn Foster will be held 11:00 AM Saturday at Second Presbyterian Church with Dr. William Waterstradt officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family invites contributions in memory of Mary Evelyn to Second Presbyterian Church, 2829 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. www.rosemortuary.com