Lavelle Foster Groundwater 7/20/1925 – 9/6/2014

— from Pegi Groundwater —

Lavelle Foster Groundwater “Velle” slipped away quietly just before noon on Saturday, September 6. She had lived on Orcas for the past year and a half with her oldest daughter. She delighted in the beauty of the island and the friends she had made at the Orcas Senior Center.

Prior to moving to Orcas she had resided for many years in Temecula, Calif. Velle was born on July 20, 1925 on a farm near Elk City, Kansas, one of 9 children born to Bert B. and Dora Amelia Mitchell Foster. She met the love of her life, James Thomas Groundwater (“Jim”), while she was attending beauty school in Emporia, Kansas and they were married on September 28, 1947 in Fresno, California. Jim preceded Velle in death on August 1, 2012.

Jim was a railroader with the Santa Fe railroad and they moved many times, mostly in California, but they resided in Topeka, Kansas from 1972 to 1977. Velle was a good sport about all of those moves and quickly made friends wherever she moved. Velle was the loving mother of five children, grandmother to thirteen grandchildren and great grandmother to 6 great grandchildren. Velle is survived by one sister, and many nieces and nephews.

Velle was a faithful letter writer to children, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, former neighbors, friends from elementary school, friends from TOPS in Kansas and in California, who will miss her warm and loving letters. She is also mourned by her three caregivers on Orcas Island, Sue Cline, Libby Cook and Janie Reboulet who came to know and love her warm and caring nature. According to her wishes, Velle will be cremated and her ashes spread on Orcas Island. She was ready to rejoin Jim, who she was married to for almost 65 years.