My Genealogy Hound

Sterling Price Foster is a son of Josiah and Julia C. (Stewart) Foster. The father was born March 13, 1796, in Georgia, and when a young man went to Missouri, where he chose his first wife, by whom he had sixteen children, fourteen sons and two daughters. After her death he married the mother of our subject, who was born in Tennessee in 1824, and came with her parents to this county in 1840. Ten children, four sons and six daughters, were the result of this marriage. He first followed the plow when six years old, and beginning life with nothing became one of the largest land-holders in this county. He could neither read nor write, and his success was due to natural business sagacity and good management. He was by occupation a farmer, and was a successful trade in land and stock. He was a Democrat, and was a soldier in the Mexican War. He died December 21, 1870. The mother is still living. Sterling Foster, the youngest son, was born on the farm where he now lives on January 22, 1862. He lived upon the home place with his mother until 1887, and September 22, of that year, married Mary S. Alfred, who was born in Jackson County, Ala., April 22, 1862, and is a daughter of William and Jemima (Murray) Alfred, natives of East Tennessee and Georgia, respectively. When young the parents moved to Alabama, which was the State in which they were married. Mrs. Alfred died in 1862, and Mr. Alfred then married Jane Highfield. Five children were born of his first and eight of his second marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred came to this county in 1880, where they are now living, both members of the church, as was the first Mrs. Alfred. Mr. Foster has always been engaged in farming, and has 220 acres, of which 180 are under cultivation. He is a Democrat, and his wife belongs to the Methodist Church, South.