Beverly Papoojian

Farewell to a `French Fry´ Queen

Like many readers (of the Foster Home Journal) I am excited for the return of Foster Old Home Days. Being a great lover of hand cut french fries, I sent a note to the FOHD group inquiring if Ray´s Fries would be there. The reply was no, they were not operating this year. That sent alarm bells ringing. Not even a hurricane would stop them!
Ray, the founder, was my mother´s first cousin and his daughter Beverly and her husband are the current owners. Last fall at the Brooklyn Fair we visited with Beverly´s daughter Kathy, who was handling the fry wagon, she sadly told us her mother was not well. Today, mother and I were reminiscing about the "old days" of the Foster Fair. Mother insisted I find out if Beverly was still with us. Unfortunately we learned that she passed away. I am sharing this because Foster, specifically Hopkins Mills, and the Foster Fair, was very important to my mother and her cousins as kids and later as adults.
I remember as a little kid going to the fair in Foster Center. At that time Ray´s Fries was parked right next to the stage and on Sunday afternoon a traveling church group always performed a musical. Ray was a politician who sat outside at the back of the wagon in a brown easy chair and talked to everyone! Many cups of Del´s Lemonade and a little "something extra" was enjoyed by the adults. Ray would send us kids to get fries and our little chins didn´t reach the counter! Beverly and Richard were always hard at work serving customers with a smile. Ray was a smart and outgoing businessman who passed that on to his daughter. No matter how busy Beverly was she always had time for a family visit.
If you had the pleasure to know Beverly and her husband Richard then you were very lucky indeed!
We send our heartfelt condolences to Richard, Kathy and Beverly´s grandchildren. May your wonderful memories give you comfort.