Reathie was a beloved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and friend. She married Leslie 'Les' Foster. Together they had 11 children: Roat, Howard, Kathryn, Wanell who died at age 3, Josephine, Baby Boy who died at 2-3 days old, Leslie Joe, Reathie May, L.H., Linda Jean, and Myrtle.

Most of the son-in-laws called her Mrs. Reathie, others called her Momma. To the grandkids she was known as Grandma Foster.

Reathie was born on April Fools Day. She used to joke and tell us she was the biggest fool ever born.

Reathie loved her family unconditionally. Every Sunday you could count on a house full of visiting family. Reathie never failed to have fried chicken, homemade biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes, and the biggest bowl of banana pudding. She made her tea in a metal dishpan to have enough to serve everyone. She used to say, "There's always room for one more". There was always laughter in her house, and her voice of laughter can still be heard.

Reathie was a hard worker. She was always cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, ironing, and when morning came she started all over again. If she didn't have a dish rag in her hand, she had a broom.

Reathie would see a car drive up and she met it out in the yard. One rarely had to knock on her door. She greeted you with a smile and a hug. Before you left she walked you to the car and hugged you goodbye.

When the daughters were having babies it was nothing for Reathie to stay with them for several weeks to take care of the new mother and baby. She believed a woman didn't put her feet on the floor for 9 days after the baby was born.

Some memories of her were watching Shreveport Westling on TV. She got all carried away swinging her arms and yelling. She was more fun to watch than the actual wrestlers. She fed the chickens grain from her apron as she held the bottom to keep it from falling out calling 'here chick, chick, chick'. She split firewood for her wood stoves better than any man. She carried a load of wood stacked high in her little arms and carried it into the kitchen and stacked it up along the wall. She dipped snuff too, but she always cleaned her mouth if she went to church, or visiting. Her dark hair was curly, and her eyes were brown. When her husband teased her she chased him out the door swinging a broom, all the while he was laughing at her. Then she would turn and laugh herself. She poured her scalding hot coffee into a saucer and blew it until it was cool enough to sip from the saucer, thus the term 'saucer and blown'.

Her spirit was the love of God and her family. When she was dying at the Atlanta hospital her family rotated staying 24/7 with her so she was never alone. She had all her children at home, and had never been hospitalized before. She was scared of being alone, so we made sure someone was there at all times. When she died her nieces stayed at the funeral home with her at night until the day of her service so she wouldn't be alone. During the funeral pocession from the funeral home to the cemetery a group of utility workers stopped what they were doing and placed their hard hats over their hearts as we drove past. Reathie would have been honored had she seen their gestures.

Reathie was a wonderful lady. Life wasn't always easy for her, but she made the best life that she could manage for those who knew her best. She will never be forgotten. We miss her terribly each and every day. And we starve for those wonderful melt-in-your-mouth biscuits that she made.

There is lots of love from our hearts to a little lady that blessed us all!