Orpha Woods moved to Santa Barbara with her mother Orpha Woods in the early 1870's (her father died the year after she was born). Both she and her future husband Eugene Preston Foster were born in Illinois, but met in California; not long after meeting, they married in 1874; they initially made their home on a sheep ranch in the Conejo for several years. In 1877 they moved to Ventura and built a house on Ventura Avenue where many of the "movers and shakers" of now bygone days would gather during the ensuing 50 years*. She bore ten children, although many died young, and are buried near her at Ivy Lawn cemetery. In addition to raising a large family, she was a teacher, president of the Ventura County Federation of Women's Clubs, board member for the Ventura School for Girls, and vice president of the Big Sisters Hospital League which later became Foster Memorial Hospital (known today as Community Memorial Hospital or CMH). Her husband was a pioneer (as was she) and a philanthropist. She died in 1938, and was survived by 4 daughters and 6 grandchildren. (Children included daughters Orpha born 1875; Grace born 1878; Edith born 1881; Ida born 1885; Mildred born 1892; and son Eugene born 1895. Sons Aleck, Willis and Frank, and daughter Lucy all died as babies.)

(*Sadly the neglected Foster residence on Ventura Avenue burned down in August 2010. It was located across from "the Avenue School" which is no longer in use and is boarded up. Mr. Foster use to give pocket knives to the boys of the school, while his wife would give the girls handkerchiefs.).

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Orpha Woods Foster (April 22, 1850 - September 17, 1938) was a pioneer and philanthropist of Ventura County, California.

Orpha Woods Foster was born in Avon, Illinois, on April 22, 1850, the daughter of Ira M. Woods (1792-1851) and Orpha Daggett Woods (1810-1875).[1]

She was active in civic work; she was the chairman on Los Angeles District Board for 5 years; she was president of the Ventura County Federation of Women's Clubs; she was auditor of State Federation for 2 years.[1]

She was instrumental in starting and maintaining Cottage Home for needy children, carried on by Big Sisters League. She gave $100,000 to this home ($1,395,560.69 in 2017). She was vice president of the Big Sisters Hospital League, later Foster Memorial Hospital and then Community Memorial Hospital.[2] She donated the park grounds that was to become the Foster Park and Seaside Park to the County of Ventura. With her husband she donated the land for the City Hall and Public Library to the city of Ventura.[1]

She was board member for the Ventura School for Girl.

She was a member of Ebell Club of Santa Paula, Tuesday Club, Avenue Ladies of Ventura.[1]

In the 1870s Orpha Woods Foster moved to Santa Barbara with her mother, her father died the year after she was born. In August 1874 she married Eugene Preston Foster (1848-1932) and had ten children: Orpha W. Foster (1875-1973), Lucy Foster (1877-1877), Grace Foster Percy (1878-1972), Edith Annie Neel Foster Mercer (1881-1974), Ida Foster Baker (b. 1885), Aleck C Foster (1887-1888), Willis E. Foster (1888-1889), Frank. P Foster (1888-1889), Mildred Foster Ranger Allen (1892-1930), Eugene C. Foster (1895-1903).[1][3]

With her husband she owned a sheep ranch in the Conejo and in 1877. They moved to Ventura, California, in 1877, and lived in Ventura Avenue. The house burned down in August 2010.

She died on September 17, 1938, and is buried at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, Ventura, California.

Sources:
Binheim, Max; Elvin, Charles A (1928). Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. p. 43. Retrieved 8 August 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"DollarTimes". Retrieved 20 September 2017.
Jackson, Glenda J. (2006). Ventura. Arcadia Publishing. p. 160. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
Contributor: Elisa Rolle (48982101) - Sept 2018