James Fost

A memorial service for James Fost, 81, of Baker, MT will be 11:00 a. m. Friday, September 23, 2016 at Stevenson Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Bonnievale Cemetery. A reception will be held at Thee Garage and Showroom following the graveside committal. Everyone is welcome. James passed away Monday, September 19, 2016 at Fallon Medical Complex in Baker. James (Jim) Franklin Fost was born on September 20, 1934, in Baker, MT. Jim was the son of Carl Frederick and Guida Louise (Roget) Fost. He attended schools in the Willard-Baker area along with San Francisco, CA. During the Great Depression his family moved to Oregon and Washington to find work picking apples and hops in a tree nursery. When Jim was seven years old, his mother passed away. Carl moved his children to San Francisco where the whole family took part in the making of poles for tents used in the Southwest Pacific theatre conflict. At the end of 1946, Carl and his family moved back to the Baker area. Jim followed his father’s work and began picking apples in the Selah and Yakima WA area. He picked apples and worked in the warehouse for approximately 25 years. Jim was so close to his employer and his family that they became his second family. They remained close until his death. In the off-season, he would travel all over the United States, Mexico, and Canada, by Greyhound, train or hitchhiking. He was in all the lower 48 states and visited each capital. Jim also walked across the State of Arkansas. He was driven. Living on a limited budget, Jim was able to find a way to make his travels happen. He seen the Grand Ole Opry, Broadway shows, Hollywood, he attended the TV show Truth and Consequences with Bob Barker with so many other things too numerous to mention. Jim kept postcards, ticket stubs, pamphlets, maps and other souvenirs on the places and things he saw. Jim educated himself with his travels and the love of reading. Jim’s passions besides traveling, included dice, poker, card tricks, pinochle, cribbage, and pool. He was a pool champion. He loved reading, movies, and coin collecting. From the lighthouse in Maine, through the Grand Canyon in Arizona to the shores of the West Coast, Jim has many stories and experiences that will never be told. Jim is survived by his sister Delphine (Fost) Hoenke of Baker, MT and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. He is preceded in death by his parents Carl and Guida Louise Fost and his brother Rodney Fost.


Click to View Program (PDF)


Burial Date: September 23, 2016
Church Stevenson Funeral Home

Memorial Service: Friday: Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker, MT