Foust, Mary Genevieve 'Gen' (Flanagan)

Mary Genevieve “Gen” (Flanagan) Foust, 92, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Manchester, died Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, at Heritage Nursing and Rehab Center in Cedar Rapids following a lengthy illness. Funeral Mass will be Friday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids by the Rev. Mark Reasoner and the Rev. Gerald Condon. Family will greet friends from 4:30 until 8 p.m. Thursday at Teahen Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids, with a Scripture vigil service beginning at 4:30 p.m. Visitation also will be one hour before services Friday at the church. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Ryan, at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

“Gen” was born May 20, 1920, in Streeter, Ill., the daughter of Raymond M. and Bertha A. (Kelly) Lawless. She married Francis J. Flanagan on Feb. 3, 1936, at St. John's Catholic Church (now called St. Patrick's) in Ryan, where they farmed near Ryan until his death on March 7, 1965. Gen was a homemaker and especially enjoyed baking angel food cakes, sewing, playing cards, music, and entertaining others with her harmonica.

Gen and John Foust were married Aug. 12, 1972. Gen was a longtime member of St. Patrick's Church in Ryan and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Manchester. She enjoyed being a member of the VFW and Fraternal Order of Eagles, where she held all elected offices during her 30-year membership with the Eagles Auxiliary.

Gen is survived by her two sons, Jerry (Judy) Flanagan of Cedar Rapids and Daniel (Penny) Flanagan of Marshalltown; two daughters, Jeanette (Abe) Achenbach and Linda Stavropoulos, both of Cedar Rapids; four stepsons, Ron (Margaret) Foust of Atlanta, Ga., Jerry (Janet) Foust of Watertown, Wis., Dick (Diane) Foust of Manchester and Bob (Mary Ann) Foust of Des Moines; two stepdaughters, Judy (Dennis) Gudenkauf of Manchester and Mary Jean Uptegraph of Dubuque; numerous grandchildren, stepgrandchildren, great-grandchildren, stepgreat-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and one sister, Bernadine Timmerman of Wichita Falls, Texas.

Genevieve was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Bertha Lawless Webster; her first husband, Francis J. Flanagan; two infant children; her second husband, John Foust; five sons, Robert, David, Francis Robert, Phillip and William, a daughter, Judith; granddaughter, Debra; grandson, Chad; a sister, Vivian Anderson; a brother, Raymond Lawless; son-in-law, Nick Stavropoulos; and two brothers-in-law, Bob Anderson and Earl Timmerman.

A memorial fund has been established.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.teahenfuneralhome.com

Published Aug. 30, 2012 in The Gazette