COLUMBUS
Etta Fay Forster, 98, passed peacefully into glory on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 12:50 pm. She was the daughter of Martin and Nettie (Pardieck) Schulz, born June 8, 1924, on the family farm. One of her dreaded chores was milking cows. Once, she was still in the barn finishing her daily duty when her date arrived to pick her up. No wonder she shuddered every time she saw dairy cows grazing in a pasture!
Her early education was at the Elizabethtown public school followed by graduation from Columbus High School in 1942. Early employment ventures were at G.C. Murphy’s five and ten cent store, the “Shirt Factory” at 12th & Washington Street where she made pants for Navy uniforms during WWII and at Cummins in the injector shop office.
On her 23rd birthday, she married Charles Forster becoming a farm wife who quickly learned weather dictates farm life. Even their honeymoon was cut short in order to return home and plant corn due to a change in weather conditions. Through their 64 years of marriage, she shared her homemaking duties with aiding Charlie in the farm fields. Any break in work responsibilities was an escape to party with their many friends that included trips to Canada, St. Thomas, Hawaii, Alaska and several other states.
Sundays were spent at St. Paul Lutheran Church (Clifty) where she was a founding member of the Tri-W Society and for many years supervised the Fellowship Hour, making thousands of cookies to be shared with her church family. She also served her Lord by teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and for several years, served with Charlie as financial secretary.
She cared for friends and neighbors who had no immediate family and made certain their needs were met until their deaths. Within the last few months, she has been rewarded with the loving care given by Journey North Care Management and their care givers, especially Jenny Waltz and Tiffany Seaman and the late Colleen North. Since 2009, she has resided at Green Tree Independent Living where she enjoyed the luxury of having meals served to her and the many friendships made with residents and staff.
Etta Faye is survived by daughters, Donna Sasse (John) and Connie Weichman (Phillip) of Columbus; grandchildren, Shanda Sasse (fiance Tom Cullen) of Columbus, Joshua Weichman of Seattle, WA, Shalah Hums (Scott) of Westfield, IN and Linden Sasse of Ellettsville, IN and one great grandson, Handel Hums. Other survivors are niece, Carol Daily and nephews, Stanton and Daniel Forster, Leroy, Frank and Daniel Fiesbeck.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles on July 7, 2011; her parents (Martin in 1978/Nettie in 1988); her sister, Dorothea Fiesbeck on September 10, 2016; and her brother, Kenneth at birth in 1927; and a nephew, David Fiesbeck on June 19, 2022.
The funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 6045 E. State St. conducted by Pastor Doug Bauman with calling beginning at 10:30 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be at the church cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be made to Orphan Grain Train or Early Childhood Ministry (St. Paul ECM).
Online condolences and special memories may be shared with the Forster family and a video tribute viewed at barkesweaverglick.com.
