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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Foster (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Foster. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Foster is located in Pierce County.

To see how the shape of Nebraska's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Pierce County: Antelope, Cedar, Knox, Madison, Stanton & Wayne.

Below are the counties that are near Foster. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Foster:

  • Pierce County     (The home county of Foster)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Breslau
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Osmond
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Plainview
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plainview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainview
      • Plainview is located in Pierce County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,197 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Plainview <1>
    • Pierce
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierce have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierce
      • Pierce is located in Pierce County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,734 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pierce <1>
    • McLean
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Wee Town
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wee Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wee Town
      • Wee Town is located in Pierce County
    • Hadar
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Antelope County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Brunswick
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brunswick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick
      • Brunswick is located in Antelope County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brunswick <1>
    • Oakdale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Neligh
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Royal
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Royal have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Royal
      • Royal is located in Antelope County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Royal <1>
    • Clearwater
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clearwater have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clearwater
      • Clearwater is located in Antelope County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 398 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clearwater <1>
    • Elgin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elgin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
      • Elgin is located in Antelope County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 613 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elgin <1>
    • Orchard
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Cedar County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Magnet
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Magnet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnet
      • Magnet is located in Cedar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Magnet <1>
    • Randolph
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Belden
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Coleridge
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coleridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleridge
      • Coleridge is located in Cedar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 452 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coleridge <1>
  • Knox County
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Meadow Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadow Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Grove
      • Meadow Grove is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Meadow Grove <1>
    • Tilden
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tilden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilden
      • Tilden is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 936 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tilden <1>
    • Battle Creek
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Norfolk
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Warnerville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Emerick
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Fairview ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Kalamazoo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kalamazoo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kalamazoo
      • Kalamazoo is located in Madison County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kalamazoo
      • From Foster to Kalamazoo
  • Wayne County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Sholes
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Hoskins
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Carroll
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carroll have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carroll
      • Carroll is located in Wayne County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Carroll <1>
    • Winside
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Foster, see our County-by-County Page for Foster.

Cemeteries Near Foster ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Foster.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Foster covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.

  • Trinity Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trinity Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trinity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stark Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stark Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stark Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lambrecht Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lambrecht Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lambrecht Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Osmond Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osmond Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Osmond Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Immanuel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Immanuel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Immanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Josephs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Josephs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Prospect View Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Plainview Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Plainview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Plainview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Eden Valley Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eden Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eden Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (67 more) ...
    • Pleasant Ridge Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Rose Hill Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rose Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rose Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Danish Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Foster had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Foster had a population of 51 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.

  • Osmond
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Pierce
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierce have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierce
    • Pierce is located in Pierce County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,734 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pierce <1>
  • Plainview
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plainview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainview
    • Plainview is located in Pierce County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,197 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Plainview <1>
  • Hadar
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Magnet
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Magnet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnet
    • Magnet is located in Cedar County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Magnet <1>
  • Wausa
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wausa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wausa
    • Wausa is located in Knox County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 557 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wausa <1>
  • Brunswick
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brunswick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick
    • Brunswick is located in Antelope County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brunswick <1>
  • Meadow Grove
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadow Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Grove
    • Meadow Grove is located in Madison County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Meadow Grove <1>
  • Randolph
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Tilden
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tilden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilden
    • Tilden is located in Madison County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 936 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tilden <1>
  • Creighton
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
  • Battle Creek
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Foster. See our List of 1890's Communities around Foster.

Newspapers Published in Foster ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 135 newspapers that have been published in the area around Foster.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Foster, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Foster.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Foster:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Foster. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Pierce County: www.co.pierce.ne.us/

The official website for State of Nebraska: https://www.nebraska.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Foster, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Foster) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Foster. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.2739, Longitude: -97.6646    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025