Shelbyville News 18 Oct 2008
Martha Virginia Forster
Martha Virginia Forster, 91, died Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, at Grand Traverse Pavilions, where she had lived the past two years.
Born Feb. 15, 1917, in Shelbyville, she was the daughter of David and Blanche (McDaniel) Whitcomb. She married Norman Charles Forster" on June 20, 1939, in Shelbyville at the home of her parents, and he preceded her in death in 1974.
Survivors include her sons, David of Kalamazoo, Mich., Michael of Alabaster, Ala.; daughters-in-law, Linda (Ducheney) Penney of Traverse City, Mich., and Dr. Mary Louise (Brzezinski) Forster of Indianapolis; grandchildren, Kristine (husband, Dale) Popp of Lake Leelanau, Mich., Tammi (husband, Jon) Haggerty and Scott (wife, Rebecca) Forster, both of Indianapolis; great-grandchildren, Erin Popp of Traverse City, Christine Popp of Grawn, Mich., Megan Popp, Ryan Popp and Shannon Popp, all of Lake Leelanau, Ian Haggerty, Andrew Haggerty, Jamey Haggerty, Luke Haggerty, all of Indianapolis, Joshua Crowley-Forster of Breckenridge, Colo., Halie Forster, Lauryn Forster and Joseph Forster, all of Indianapolis; nephews, Bob (wife, Phyllis Tomata) Brown of Chicago, Ill., and David "Kelley" (wife, Anne) Brown of West Newton, Massachusetts; several great-nieces and nephews; and caregivers at the GT Cherry Pavilion, especially Barb and Nancy.
She also was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Isabelle Whitcomb (husband, Bud) Brown; brother, Harry "Bud" Whitcomb; and great-grandchildren, Ashlee Marie Popp and Matthew Joseph Popp.
Mrs. Forster retired from Munson Medical Center in 1978, where she had worked as laboratory aide in the cytology department since 1965. She moved to Kalamazoo, where she co-owned and operated an Elias Brothers' Big Boy restaurant, with her son Dave, from 1978 to 1986.
She began swimming in the local pool in her 60s, and at age 70, she began swimming competitively in both Senior Olympics and Masters Swimming meets, qualifying for and competing in National Masters Swimming competitions on several occasions. She held 14 freestyle state records and eight world freestyle top-10 records, including a world record in 1996 as the freestyle anchor on a 200-meter medley relay team. She continued swimming competitively until 2005.
Mrs. Forster had attended Purdue University.
She was known as Grammy, not only to her family, but to all those who became part of her extended family. She had a great memory and enjoyed sharing stories about her family.
Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23 at Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 305 Sixth St. in Traverse City.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 23 at the funeral home.
Interment will be in Memorial Gardens in Traverse City.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grand Traverse Pavilions or the donor's choice of charities.
Martha Virginia Forster
Martha Virginia Forster, 91, died Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, at Grand Traverse Pavilions, where she had lived the past two years.
Born Feb. 15, 1917, in Shelbyville, she was the daughter of David and Blanche (McDaniel) Whitcomb. She married Norman Charles Forster" on June 20, 1939, in Shelbyville at the home of her parents, and he preceded her in death in 1974.
Survivors include her sons, David of Kalamazoo, Mich., Michael of Alabaster, Ala.; daughters-in-law, Linda (Ducheney) Penney of Traverse City, Mich., and Dr. Mary Louise (Brzezinski) Forster of Indianapolis; grandchildren, Kristine (husband, Dale) Popp of Lake Leelanau, Mich., Tammi (husband, Jon) Haggerty and Scott (wife, Rebecca) Forster, both of Indianapolis; great-grandchildren, Erin Popp of Traverse City, Christine Popp of Grawn, Mich., Megan Popp, Ryan Popp and Shannon Popp, all of Lake Leelanau, Ian Haggerty, Andrew Haggerty, Jamey Haggerty, Luke Haggerty, all of Indianapolis, Joshua Crowley-Forster of Breckenridge, Colo., Halie Forster, Lauryn Forster and Joseph Forster, all of Indianapolis; nephews, Bob (wife, Phyllis Tomata) Brown of Chicago, Ill., and David "Kelley" (wife, Anne) Brown of West Newton, Massachusetts; several great-nieces and nephews; and caregivers at the GT Cherry Pavilion, especially Barb and Nancy.
She also was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Isabelle Whitcomb (husband, Bud) Brown; brother, Harry "Bud" Whitcomb; and great-grandchildren, Ashlee Marie Popp and Matthew Joseph Popp.
Mrs. Forster retired from Munson Medical Center in 1978, where she had worked as laboratory aide in the cytology department since 1965. She moved to Kalamazoo, where she co-owned and operated an Elias Brothers' Big Boy restaurant, with her son Dave, from 1978 to 1986.
She began swimming in the local pool in her 60s, and at age 70, she began swimming competitively in both Senior Olympics and Masters Swimming meets, qualifying for and competing in National Masters Swimming competitions on several occasions. She held 14 freestyle state records and eight world freestyle top-10 records, including a world record in 1996 as the freestyle anchor on a 200-meter medley relay team. She continued swimming competitively until 2005.
Mrs. Forster had attended Purdue University.
She was known as Grammy, not only to her family, but to all those who became part of her extended family. She had a great memory and enjoyed sharing stories about her family.
Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23 at Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 305 Sixth St. in Traverse City.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 23 at the funeral home.
Interment will be in Memorial Gardens in Traverse City.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grand Traverse Pavilions or the donor's choice of charities.
Shelbyville News 18 Oct 2008
Martha Virginia Forster
Martha Virginia Forster, 91, died Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, at Grand Traverse Pavilions, where she had lived the past two years.
Born Feb. 15, 1917, in Shelbyville, she was the daughter of David and Blanche (McDaniel) Whitcomb. She married Norman Charles Forster" on June 20, 1939, in Shelbyville at the home of her parents, and he preceded her in death in 1974.
Survivors include her sons, David of Kalamazoo, Mich., Michael of Alabaster, Ala.; daughters-in-law, Linda (Ducheney) Penney of Traverse City, Mich., and Dr. Mary Louise (Brzezinski) Forster of Indianapolis; grandchildren, Kristine (husband, Dale) Popp of Lake Leelanau, Mich., Tammi (husband, Jon) Haggerty and Scott (wife, Rebecca) Forster, both of Indianapolis; great-grandchildren, Erin Popp of Traverse City, Christine Popp of Grawn, Mich., Megan Popp, Ryan Popp and Shannon Popp, all of Lake Leelanau, Ian Haggerty, Andrew Haggerty, Jamey Haggerty, Luke Haggerty, all of Indianapolis, Joshua Crowley-Forster of Breckenridge, Colo., Halie Forster, Lauryn Forster and Joseph Forster, all of Indianapolis; nephews, Bob (wife, Phyllis Tomata) Brown of Chicago, Ill., and David "Kelley" (wife, Anne) Brown of West Newton, Massachusetts; several great-nieces and nephews; and caregivers at the GT Cherry Pavilion, especially Barb and Nancy.
She also was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Isabelle Whitcomb (husband, Bud) Brown; brother, Harry "Bud" Whitcomb; and great-grandchildren, Ashlee Marie Popp and Matthew Joseph Popp.
Mrs. Forster retired from Munson Medical Center in 1978, where she had worked as laboratory aide in the cytology department since 1965. She moved to Kalamazoo, where she co-owned and operated an Elias Brothers' Big Boy restaurant, with her son Dave, from 1978 to 1986.
She began swimming in the local pool in her 60s, and at age 70, she began swimming competitively in both Senior Olympics and Masters Swimming meets, qualifying for and competing in National Masters Swimming competitions on several occasions. She held 14 freestyle state records and eight world freestyle top-10 records, including a world record in 1996 as the freestyle anchor on a 200-meter medley relay team. She continued swimming competitively until 2005.
Mrs. Forster had attended Purdue University.
She was known as Grammy, not only to her family, but to all those who became part of her extended family. She had a great memory and enjoyed sharing stories about her family.
Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23 at Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 305 Sixth St. in Traverse City.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 23 at the funeral home.
Interment will be in Memorial Gardens in Traverse City.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grand Traverse Pavilions or the donor's choice of charities.
Martha Virginia Forster
Martha Virginia Forster, 91, died Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, at Grand Traverse Pavilions, where she had lived the past two years.
Born Feb. 15, 1917, in Shelbyville, she was the daughter of David and Blanche (McDaniel) Whitcomb. She married Norman Charles Forster" on June 20, 1939, in Shelbyville at the home of her parents, and he preceded her in death in 1974.
Survivors include her sons, David of Kalamazoo, Mich., Michael of Alabaster, Ala.; daughters-in-law, Linda (Ducheney) Penney of Traverse City, Mich., and Dr. Mary Louise (Brzezinski) Forster of Indianapolis; grandchildren, Kristine (husband, Dale) Popp of Lake Leelanau, Mich., Tammi (husband, Jon) Haggerty and Scott (wife, Rebecca) Forster, both of Indianapolis; great-grandchildren, Erin Popp of Traverse City, Christine Popp of Grawn, Mich., Megan Popp, Ryan Popp and Shannon Popp, all of Lake Leelanau, Ian Haggerty, Andrew Haggerty, Jamey Haggerty, Luke Haggerty, all of Indianapolis, Joshua Crowley-Forster of Breckenridge, Colo., Halie Forster, Lauryn Forster and Joseph Forster, all of Indianapolis; nephews, Bob (wife, Phyllis Tomata) Brown of Chicago, Ill., and David "Kelley" (wife, Anne) Brown of West Newton, Massachusetts; several great-nieces and nephews; and caregivers at the GT Cherry Pavilion, especially Barb and Nancy.
She also was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Isabelle Whitcomb (husband, Bud) Brown; brother, Harry "Bud" Whitcomb; and great-grandchildren, Ashlee Marie Popp and Matthew Joseph Popp.
Mrs. Forster retired from Munson Medical Center in 1978, where she had worked as laboratory aide in the cytology department since 1965. She moved to Kalamazoo, where she co-owned and operated an Elias Brothers' Big Boy restaurant, with her son Dave, from 1978 to 1986.
She began swimming in the local pool in her 60s, and at age 70, she began swimming competitively in both Senior Olympics and Masters Swimming meets, qualifying for and competing in National Masters Swimming competitions on several occasions. She held 14 freestyle state records and eight world freestyle top-10 records, including a world record in 1996 as the freestyle anchor on a 200-meter medley relay team. She continued swimming competitively until 2005.
Mrs. Forster had attended Purdue University.
She was known as Grammy, not only to her family, but to all those who became part of her extended family. She had a great memory and enjoyed sharing stories about her family.
Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23 at Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 305 Sixth St. in Traverse City.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 23 at the funeral home.
Interment will be in Memorial Gardens in Traverse City.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grand Traverse Pavilions or the donor's choice of charities.
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