JACKIE RAY FOSTER

As there are several blog participates and readers of the class of 55’ and others that attended CV high in the 50’s, I thought there might be some interest in an update on Jack and a story about him being responsible for my first skiing endeavor.
In the late 60’s, Jack was managing a nursing home in Arkansas City. He and wife Donna lived across the street from a couple named Ron and Dixie. They became good friends. Ron was an insurance adjuster and had a co-worker named Don. Ron and Don had snow skied a few times and thought they were down hill experts. They talked Jack into going with them and after one time he also became a down hill expert.
I was living in Wichita and the next time they went, Jack talked me into going with them, so I could also become a down hill expert, just like them. They picked me up after I got off work at 5 o’clock and we headed to Colorado, in a VW bug. Four guys, luggage and skis, cozy, but cheap. (Actually we did this several times) Driving all night, sleeping as best we could in the bug and in the ski operation parking lot at 9 o’clock, waiting for the lifts to open. I rented my ski equipment and in those days long skis were in vogue……. twice a long as I was tall. Totally impossible for me to maneuver. They took me to the beginners slope, showed me how to get a hold of the rope tow, up the beginners slope, trying to keep both ski’s going the same direction. Showed how to snow plow down the slope. I mostly was on my butt.
We did this twice and the second time they said to try and end up at the chair lift. They went to great detail on how to get on the chair lift, ski’s straight, bend knees and sit down on chair and let the chair lift me off the snow. With some difficulty I did manage to get onto the chair and up this great, high mountain we went. I rode with Jack and the scenery was terrific. I was awestricken by the beauty. Now… they went to get detail on how to get on the lift, but no one mentioned on how to get off. All of a sudden there is this big mound of snow and the chairs are going around this big wheel and heading back down the slope. Jack slipped out of the chair and skied away and I’m trying to get those 10-foot things attached to my feet pointing in the same direction. Anyway the chair starts going around this big wheel with me still on the chair…. and 5-6 foot above the snow. The operator stopped the lift and I jumped. Fortunately no bones were broken and the guys were doubled over laughing.
After they gained their composure, I was informed of the next great challenge. Getting down this 12,000 ft. mountain that was straight down. I thought it was the end of the world and certainly I would never live to tell about it. I was down more than I was up and when finally arriving at the bottom of the slope, I looked more like the abominable snow man than a down hill expert. And……. skiing is supposed to be fun.

We skied two days, when the lifts closed a 4 0’clock, we headed back to Kansas. Getting home at 2-3 o’clock in the morning, a couple hours of sleep, getting up and being at work at 8 o’clock. Oh…… to be young again and able to do such nonsense. For a few years we would go out to ski 3-4 times a year. I did master the chair lift and while we never became down hill experts, we became skilled enough to get down most slopes ….and skiing became a lot, lot more fun. We even became a little more affluent and graduated out of the VW bug .

All good things must come to an end and with wives, family, work and age, it became more difficult for us to get together. However, even after moving to California Ron and I would meet in Colorado once or twice a year.

Now back to Jack. Nancy and I went to CV the last of October to visit our mothers before heading to Arizona for the winter. We made arrangements for Ron, Don, Jack and I, with wives to meet in Wichita. It had been 25 years or so since we were all together. We spent two nights and one day together. The ladies went to the mall shopping and we guys sat in an alcove of the hotel lobby from 10 o’clock in the morning until 4 that afternoon. We had a great time reminiscing and telling stories that had been forgotten over the years. Of course my first ski trip and chair lift experience was brought up a few times and each time it changed, to the point that I must I’ve been 50-60 feet in the air and they had to send a crane up the slope to get me off. Jack had some good stories about growing up in CV and the name Dick Williams came up frequently, but I’ll let Dick tell those stories.
Jack and Donna live on some acreage close to Bonner Springs, KS, where they have lived for the last 30-40 years. They have two daughters; one lives in KC area, the other in Minnesota and has two children. Jack and Donna moved to Bonner Springs to build and run a nursing home. As it ended up Jack became more involved in the national nursing home association and Donna ran the nursing home. Jack become very involved in raising, training and racing thorough bred racehorses. I can guarantee you that he can tell you more about racehorses than you ever want to know. Presently Donna has retired from the nursing home and Jack has limited his involvement in racehorses.
Last winter Jack had a long and painful bout with internal shingles. He said he has never experienced any thing so painful and at times to the point of being unbearable. He lost 40 pounds and still occasionally has light attacks. There is a vaccine available now and he advises every one to get the shots and not go through what he did.
We talked about Gary W’s blog and the readers and participates. I gave Jack the web site address and hopefully he will become a reader and participate.