Anne Foos

(From Hedge-Lewis-Goodwin Funeral Home)

Elizabeth Anne Foos, 93, a resident of Spring River Christian Village, Joplin, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Mercy Hospital Joplin. She fell after enjoying time with family on Christmas and died of complications after surgery to repair her hip.

Mrs. Foos was born on May 6, 1928, in Council Grove, Kansas, to Elmer Henry "Tink" Snider and Elizabeth May Williams Snider. After graduating from Council Grove High School in 1946 and a summer at Emporia State University, she was recruited to teach elementary school at Healy, Kansas, a four-hour drive west, partly on unpaved roads.

Anne met one of the available bachelors in Healy, Willard E. Foos, a World War II veteran. They were married on Aug. 21, 1949, in Council Grove. Anne kept her teaching certificate current by taking summer classes at Emporia each summer. She was teaching fourth grade at Dighton, Kansas, when she decided to become a full-time wife and mother and take on a more active volunteer role in the community.

In 1980, Anne and Willard, with daughter Glenda, followed son Bob and his family to Webb City. Among the activities keeping them busy was collecting. Willard collected coins, and Anne collected stamps. Anne survived being isolated during the pandemic by reading non-fiction books and watching PBS. She read practically every sentence in the Joplin Globe, even those by columnists she didn't agree with. She particularly enjoyed Craig Tally's column in the religion section. She got an iPad so that she could read the Globe on days it doesn't put out a print edition. Of course, that also allowed her to read her son's newspaper, the Webb City Sentinel, when it converted to a website.

Anne grew up in a Masonic family. Her mother was worthy matron as the Kaw Mission Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1946 and Anne joined at the earliest age possible, 18. Anne later belonged to the OES chapter in Dighton and Webb City Chapter No. 204. She received her 75-year pin on Oct. 12, 2021.

The granddaughter of a Congregational pastor, the Rev. William T. Williams, she was a student of the Bible throughout her life. She was a member of the Healy United Methodist Church before transferring her membership to Central United Methodist Church in Webb City.

Anne and Willard were married for 56 years prior his death on May 28, 2006. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by a brother, Tom Snider.

Survivors include a son, Bob Foos and his wife Ann, Webb City; a daughter, Glenda Baumbaugh and her husband Bill, Columbus, Kansas; three grandchildren, Sonya Neece-Hill and her husband Kevin, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Jake Foos and his fiancée Starr Conley, Olathe, Kansas, and Tom Stark, Webb City; three great-grandchildren, Julia Neece, Ally Neece, and Bentlee Stark; a great-greatgrandson, Brooks Neece-Harvey; a brother, Ralph Snider and his wife Donna, Council Grove; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hedge-Lewis-Goodwin Funeral Home, Webb City, with the Rev. Clint Lambeth officiating. Family visitation will follow until 4 p.m. A ceremony at Healy Cemetery will be held in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to Central United Methodist Church.