Crawfordsville Journal, July 6, 1910

FOSTER A. FLETCHER HAS PASSED AWAY
ONE OF THE MOST WILDLY KNOWN FARMERS OF THE COUNTY IS DEAD
HE UNDERWENT THREE SURGICAL OPERATIONS
Has Been in the Deaconess Hospital for the Past Month or More

Foster A. Fletcher, one of the best known farmers in the county, died at the Deaconess hospital at Indianapolis this morning shortly before four. He went to the hospital about a month ago and underwent three surgical operations while confined there, the last one about two weeks ago. By the first operation a prostate gland and some bladder stones were removed and for a time his recovery seemed assured, but other complications arose, making two other operations necessary. He grew much worse Tuesday morning, and it became apparent that his end was not far off. He grew worse until this morning when he died.

Mr. Fletcher has lived north of this city for the past fourteen years on a fine farm near Cherry Grove. He was well known not only in this city but all over the county, as he was not only one of the leading farmers, but an extensive trader in real estate and timber. He was born at Keen, New Hampshire, where he resided until a robust young man, when he came west, and after reaching Montgomery county he took a job on the farm with the late Paschal Wilhite, a wealthy farmer who lived a short distance west of New Market. After working there a few years he married Miss Mary Smith, a girl whom Mr. and Mrs. Wilhite had raised. He then moved with his wife to a farm near New Market, which belonged to Mr. Wilhite, but which the latter afterward, gave to Mrs. Fletcher. They lived there for several years and then moved to the farm north of this city. Mr. Fletcher was a man of wonderful energy and was able to do a wonderful amount of work in a day. He was a shrewd trader, coming from the good old Yankee stock of the New England states, he seemed always to be able to turn a deal into a bargain, and as he accumulated money his operations were on a bigger scale, until now at the time of his death he was one of the wealthy men of the county. He owned bank stock and had other investments in this city, besides several farms, the one where he resided near New Market, another of 320 acres in North Dakota and the old Foster homestead in New Hampshire, where he was born. He learned that the old place was going to be sold last summer and made the journey to his boyhood home and when he found the place was not going to bring what it should he purchased it.

Besides the wife, eleven children survive, also one brother, Arelia Fletcher, of Campaign, Ill. and one sister, Mrs. Ann Hammond, of Keen, N.H. Mr. Fletcher was sixty-five years old and up till a year or so ago was one of the rugged farmers of the county. He was a staunch Democrat but was not identified with any church. He was a member of the Crawfordsville Aeries of Eagles, and of the I.O.O.F. of this city.

The funeral will take place at the home near Cherry Grove at ten on Friday. The body was brought here this afternoon from Indianapolis and was taken to the late of by D.C. Barnhill, funeral director.