Sondra Virginia Foster

1938 - 2025

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, Sondra Virginia Foster passed away peacefully at the age of 86 at Brookestone View in Broken Bow, Neb.

Sondra was born Dec. 26, 1938, to Claude and Ada (Marples) Johnson in Cambridge. She graduated from Cambridge High School in 1956. After attending Wesleyan University and Lincoln School of Business, she was area clerk for the USDA-Soil Conservation Service in Broken Bow for two years. While there, she met Robert (Bob) D. Foster.

Sondra and Bob were married March 27, 1960, at the Methodist Church in Cambridge. Two children were born to this union - Kirk Robert and Kristi Lynn.

Sondra and Bob were married 61 years. Sondra and Bob lived in Ord, Bridgeport and Grand Island before moving back to Broken Bow in 1998. While living at Bridgeport, Sondra was the public librarian for nine years. In Grand Island, she worked at Waldenbooks in the Conestoga Mall for 16 years and was store manager for 13 of those years. She was a member of the Broken Bow United Methodist Church, Outreachers Circle until it disbanded in 2018, UMW many years, and P.E.O. Chapter S.

Sondra's hobbies included journaling in her diaries, reading all kinds of books, watching Jeopardy, and making broomstick afghans. She collected well over a thousand cookbooks and a wide variety of hedgehog figurines. Sondra was quite a baker and was known for her cinnamon twists, butterhorn rolls and chocolate sheet cake.

Genealogy was important to Sondra and she kept the family tree up-to-date for the Claude Johnson branch, of which there are 260-plus. She and Bob had a large garden while living in Bridgeport, Grand Island and, for about ten years, in Broken Bow. The family enjoyed camping even though Sondra's first camping trip was a literal washout.

Sondra was first diagnosed with cancer in 2012. She had health issues due to the side effects of the cancer treatments for the rest of her life. After Bob passed away April 11, 2021, Sondra lived in her home before moving to Off Broadway Apartments Feb. 19, 2023, then to Brookestone View June 1, 2025.

She is survived by son and daughter-in-law Kirk & Denise Foster of Berwyn; daughter and son-in-law, Kristi and Tom Schleif of Osceola six granddaughters and one grandson Jamelyn (Jared) Denny, Kelsey (Justin) McCullough, Audrey Foster, Lexie Foster, Kaitlyn (Evan) Buss, Laurin Schleif and Christian Schleif (Allison Singh); three great-granddaughters Ellianna Buss, Erin McCullough and Aspen Denny; four great-grandsons Wesley and William McCullough and Tholen and Waylon Buss; a great-grandchild on the way; two brothers Phillip (Barbara) Johnson and Bruce Johnson; two sisters Sharon Bellamy and Judy Zabel; sister-in-law, Pat Johnson; and many other relatives & friends.

Sondra was preceded in death by her husband; parents; in-laws Doane and Lavina Foster; two sisters Donna Miller and Norma Smith; two brothers Paul Johnson and Carl Johnson; four brothers-in-law Bob Smith, Bob Miller, Gailord Bellamy and Paul Zabel; and two sisters-in-law Dorothy Foster Gordon and Jackie Johnson.

A combined memorial service for Sondra and her husband, Robert, who passed away in 2021, will be held Friday, Dec. 12, at 10:30 a.m., at the United Methodist Church in Broken Bow with Pastor Phil Sloat officiating.

Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of the arrangements. The family would like to suggest donations be made to the Melham Medical Center Foundation.

The family is grateful for the compassion, love and care given to Sondra by Brookestone View team members and residents, as well as by AseraCare Hospice in the final weeks of her life.