Clarice
Foster was born April 6, 1929, the daughter of Walter Lee "Razzie"
Upchurch and Elva Era (Burkhalter) Upchurch.Clarice
Foster was born April 6, 1929, the daughter of Walter Lee "Razzie"
Upchurch and Elva Era (Burkhalter) Upchurch.
Clarice Foster, Regional Vice President 1980-81, passed away February 16, 1991, in St. Joseph's Hospital, Houston, Texas, from cancer. She had also served as Regional Secretary during 1978-79, President of the Houston Area Daylily Society 1979-80, and Chair of the Regional Meeting in Houston in 1980. She assisted Lula Mae Purnell for several years in organizing the Texas bus trips to Nationals, and then organized them herself for about ten years. I was privileged to be on most of those trips beginning with Raleigh, NC, in 1976. The last chartered bus trip was to Orlando in 1984. On that trip we had two "preachers" for our devotional Sunday morning. W. D. Everett had led them previously, but was joined by Joe Boudreaux on this trip. Singing was led by Clarice using our Texas bus song books. I wouldn't take anything for the memories of those trips with the "bus family." Too many of our "family" are passing away.
Two of the trips were of three weeks duration. One was to Boston in 1980 via Montreal and Quebec, and the other to San Diego in 1982 via Las Vegas. We covered the Pacific coast from Tijuana, Mexico, to Victoria, B.C., Canada. I especially remember the latter trip because Clarice had to fly back to Conroe from Las Vegas to take her Civil Service examination for her position in the Conroe Post Office (she planned on retiring in April), leaving me in charge of the group for tours to Universal Studios, Disneyland, Los Angeles, etc., and checking into the Convention hotel in San Diego. For all that, I got one free meal, which made me realize how much work she did and how little she received in return. We knew it was time to be going home from that trip when she boarded the bus in Amarillo with her dress on backwards.
Clarice was a Life Member of American Hemerocallis Society and was very proud of her personalized "DA LILY" license plate. She had been an Exhibition and Awards and Honors Judge. In 1974, Ury Winniford of Dallas registered Hemerocallis 'Clarice Avanele' (6" light pink blend with green throat) in her honor. He also registered H. 'Clarice Foster' (5" cream flushed pink with green throat) in 1982.
Clarice was a native Texan, graduating from High School in Atlanta, and then attending Bethany Nazarene College and Oklahoma City University. She was a Charter Member of U. S. Daughters of 1812, Thomas Bay Chapter No. 350 (Conroe) and the National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century, Robert Woodson Chapter (Div. IV - South Central Texas), of which she was Treasurer 1985-86.
Clarice was also a member of United Daughters of the Confederacy, Thomas Jefferson Stubbs Chapter No. 2523 (Conroe) and Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Judge Nathaniel Hart Davis Chapter. Her name was remembered at the 100th Memorial Service held at the Alamo on May 5, 1991. Her death is recorded in the D. R. T. Book of Remembrance.
She was Regent 1985-87 for the Margaret Montgomery Chapter (Conroe) of Daughters of the American Revolution, and Alternate Delegate to the Continental Congress held in Washington, D.C., each year. For years she was a participant in the D. A. R. Chorus which performed for the annual meeting. Her name will be remembered at the 1992 meeting. She was a Charter Member of the Conroe Chorale. There were approximately 440 members when it was organized in 1971.
Clarice did considerable genealogical research while in Washington, D.C., and also took courses and did research in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sometimes she flew there from Houston; always she would stop in Salt Lake City on her return flights from Alaska.
Clarice is survived by her husband, Charles, a retired hospital administrator, two sons (both graduates of Texas A&M University), four step-daughters, and twelve grandchildren. Clarice was a member and past President of Montgomery County A&M Mothers' Club.
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