Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-03-24
REV. DIR. ]. G. FOSTER.
Former Pastor of BrattleDOrO
Baptist Church.

He Was Actively Engaged in Ed"ca-
tIOnaI and. DenOmin1tiOnal work
Many Years aud was Assistant Editor
of the Waterman.
Rev. DR.. Joseph Coggin Foster, d. D.,
died last week Thursday at Summerville,
a suburb of Augusta, Ga, where he was
spending the winter. DR.. Foster was born
in Milford, n. H., April II, 1878, in the
sixth generation from Reginald Foster,
who came to Ipswich, Mass, from Exeter,
ENGLAND. in 1880. When Ii he became an
apprentice in printing office at Amherst,
NH. He united with the Baptist church
in Milford in 1885 and year later began
his preparatory studies for the ministry in
tbe Institution at Hamilton, n. Y, now
known as Colgate university. The Hollow
ing winter he taught district school IN
Milford, and the next summer was STU
dent in the Nashua, n. H., academy In
October. 1898, he entered the theological
institution at New Hampton, n. H., where
he was graduated in 1941. He was or
dained as pastor of the Baptist church in
Brattleboro, Vt, Jan. 10, 1S43, after hav-
ing labored with the church during the
four preceding months. This pastorate
continued until 1856.
From Brattieboro he went to Beverly
Mass, where he was pastor OF the FIRST
Baptist church from 1856 to 1872. In 1877
he accepted call to Randolph, Mass, re-
naming there nine years. lie was always
actively engaged in educational and de-
nominational work. He served on town
school committees 80 years, and was chalr-
man of the school committee in beverly
several years He was one of the trustees
of the free library in Randolph AS long as
he remained in that town.
He held various responsible positions on
boards of benevolent societies, especially
in sectarial and financial service. He was
recording secretary of the Northern Bap-
fist Educational society IA years, from lS6o
to 1882, and treasurer of the Conference OF
Baptist Ministers in Massachusetts, 81
wears, from 1865 to 1896, in which time he
had charge of about 500, 900 for the bene-
fit of INDECENT, aged and disabled Baptist
ministers He served three years as a
member of the Board of the American
Baptist Missionary union, from 1852 to
1856. For % successive years he never at
tended the association to which his church
belonged without being either clerk or
moderator.
Some of his publications have had ex-
tensive circulation, one of which, tract
on baptism and Communion" has been
in great demand, several hundred thousand
copies having been printed. An eight
page tract on Responsibilities for Intern
perance," was published by the National
Temperance society in New York and
placed among their standard works. From
an early period of his life he wrote for
newspapers, and he continued to do so
through his years as a student and pas
tor. For three years he wrote weekly
Boston letter for the Watch Tower, Bap-
fist paper in New York. In December,
1881, he became assistant editor OF the
Watchman, and remained upon the edito-
rial staff for more than IA years, till De-
cember, 1896.
The honorary degree of A. NJ. was con-
ferred upon him by Brown university in
1857. and of d. D. by Central university
at Pella, Ia, in 1888. He was married
April IA, 1913, to Miss Abigail Ann Eaton,
daughter of Dea Washington Eaton of
East Weare, N. H. Her death occurred
in Beverly, Sept. II, 1864. She was the
mother of his only child, William Eaton
Foster, librarian of the public library,
Providence, r. l. DR.. Fosters second
marriage was May l, 1866, to Miss Julia
Ann Gould, daughter of Dea. John Gould
of Dover, n. H. She had been principal
of the literary institutions at New London,
N. H., and Suffield, Conn.
The statement has been made that Rev.
DIR. Foster was the first pastor of the Brat
tleboro Baptist church. The first ordained
pastor was Rev. j. Freeman, who resigned
Aug. %, 1910. Rev. Mr.. Whipple preached
here and in adjoining towns before NJ.
Freeman's pastorate. Mr.. Freeman was
succeeded by Rev. Moses Field, who re-
signed in 1912.
Rev. DR.. Fosters visit here at the time
of the 50th anniversary of the church a
few years ago is well remembered. He de-
livered on that occasion the first sermon
which he preached in Brattleboro.