Gwendolyn Foster

Gwendolyn Harden Foster, age 76, of Erie died Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at the Village at Luther Square.

Born in Laurel, Miss. on June 19, 1937 she was a daughter of the late William H. and Mary O. Curry Harden.

She was a graduate of Strong Vincent High School and attended Anderson University where she also played basketball.

Gwen worked in the Medical field at University Hospital and Hamot Hospital; she was a long time personal caregiver; she also worked at Erie Resistor, as a young women, during WWII and in addition was the Head Cook at Martin Luther King programs and also worked as a Counselor at Gannondale School for Girls.

Gwen was a great cook and singer and sang with the Singspirations and The Harden Sisters. She enjoyed basketball, football and loved spending time with her family especially her grandchildren. She loved youth and was a great listener.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by three sisters, Lillie Mae Davis, Willie Mae Giles and Omie Ruth McMillan; four brothers, Willie Harden, Jr., Robert (Bobby) Harden, Henry Joseph (HJ) Harden and Curtis Harden.

She is survived by her husband of 50 years, John Foster; two daughters, Paula (Bradley) Gibson, of Harrisburg, PA and Jeana Foster-Kocur, of Erie; a special niece, Kelley (Craig) Ulmer, of Erie; four grandchildren, Yuri, Michael, and Ebony Gibson and John Kocur; three brothers Larry (Ruth) Harden, Richard (Irell) Harden and George (Ora) Harden; two aunts O. Ray (James) Crumbly , Cincinnati, OH and Betty (Bruce) Reed, Cleveland, OH and a plethora of nieces and nephews.

Friends may call at the Burton Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 602 West Tenth Street, on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and are invited to attend services at the Pine Avenue Church of God on Saturday at 11a.m. with the Reverend Robert Culp, a childhood friend and the Senior Pastor at First Church of God, Toledo, OH officiating.

Burial will be in Erie Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Alzheimer’s Association of Northwestern PA, 110 W. 10th Street, Erie, PA 16501 or to AsceraCare Hospice, 1600 Peninsula Drive Suite 14, Erie, PA 16505.