Harriet Foster

Harriet Horton married Moses Foster in 1843. Moses, a native of Germany was only two weeks old when his parents brought him to this country. He was raised on a farm in Ohio, but came to Illinois at a young age. He initially worked on a farm at Holderman’s Grove. He was said in the history to have been involved with the early Indian uprisings. Moses later lived at Morris, Illinois where he died at a young age of 45, in about 1860. After Moses death, Harriet lived on the old Miles Horton homestead in Shabbona Township. Moses and Harriet’s children were Rachel E.; Julius Dexter (JD); Hannah Eliza; and Helen.

J D Foster, her son went to live with an uncle, Alonzo Olmstead, son of Nathan Olmstead, where he was to live until the age of 21. Alonzo Olmstead’s wife, Margaret Palm, daughter of John Palm died after three years however on June 12, 1859. J. D. Foster then began working as a general farm hand; Alonzo’s two children Mary and Carry Olmstead were temporarily cared for by the Palms. Alonzo remarried in 1859 to Martha Curtis. Dexter Horton, Harriet’s brother, purchased 5 acres so that he could make a home and help care for his mother and sisters. Harriet (Horton) Foster spent her last days in the state of Washington where she passed away, July 1906. See write up for their son, J D Foster in “The Past and Present of De Kalb county, page 397”, and John Palm in the Portrait and Biographical Album of De Kalb County, IL, 1885.