Pines Village resident profile: Ruth and Louis Foster

For first-time author Ruth Foster, a key to getting that first book published was discovering the riches of Internet research. That and freeing herself of home ownership. The septuagenarian author began her historical mystery novel of the Middle Ages, Effigy of the Cloven Hoof, over 20 years ago, an outgrowth of four extended sojourns in England with her husband Louis.

The visits and her work at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Exeter allowed Ruth what she calls “an extraordinary hands-on experience with the 14th century.” That in turn has lent her storytelling an authenticity she insists upon.

Since their move to Pines Village Retirement Communities in late 2008, Lou has undertaken much of the research to track down the details of architecture, setting and medieval life that bring Ruth’s story to life.

Although Ruth and Lou gave away hundreds of books when they sold their house, they have easily been able to continue that research with so much information now accessible online, Ruth says.

Moving into their two-bedroom apartment at Pines Village allowed the Fosters “to tidy up our lives,” Ruth says, and freed up the time and energy for her to devote to the book and its follow-up.

“It’s liberating,” she says. “Everything we wanted to do . . . we can do now.”

Without the worries of a house and its maintenance, Ruth and Lou now pursue interests that include travel, watching lots of movies and spending time with their grandchildren. For Lou, a retired Valparaiso University math and computer science professor and former dean of the VU College of Arts and Sciences, their move has reinvigorated his interest in photography.

The two even downsized to one computer between them, which could have caused tensions. But even that hasn’t presented a problem, thanks to the newly expanded Pines Village computer room. The six machines there actually have a higher capability than the Fosters’ own and their availability has allowed Ruth and Lou to hold off on buying a second computer.

As long-time residents of Valparaiso, Ruth and Lou always knew of Pines Village and they knew many residents, so when it came time to downsize, it was a comfortable choice.

They’ve got each other and they’ve got company, when they want it, of neighbors of a similar outlook.

And they appreciate the conveniences and options available to them. They’ve held onto their car and keep it in their Pines Village garage, but they also take advantage of transportation provided to events and shopping around the city. There’s help with medical care and, should they need it, assisted living services in their apartment.

“It’s probably the best of all possible worlds,” Ruth says with a smile.

The Fosters attend a memoir-writing class together and regularly walk the city’s “Cumberland Loop,” an uninterrupted trail just beyond Pines Village. When it’s too icy in winter or humid in summer, Lou opts to get his exercise on the treadmills in the Pines Village health room.

A few years back, when it came time to make some decisions on a downsized life, Ruth and Louis had two contrasting examples to draw from: their own mothers.

For Ruth and her sister, each step of the way for their mother – from a house to an apartment to a nursing home – was a struggle involving lots of time and out-of-state trips.

But Lou’s mother took the initiative to move to a retirement community and put all her affairs in order. “It was the perfect gift one could give,” Ruth says. And it sparked a desire in Louis and her to do the same for their children.

Their son Ted is an engineer in Lafayette, Indiana, while younger son Charlie teaches at Benjamin Franklin Middle School and is president of the Valparaiso Teachers Association.

To 5-year-old grandson Andrew, Pines Village is a “resort” where he and his 4-year old sister Julia, run their cars in the hallway and blow bubbles from the Fosters’ balcony overlooking a pond. During his first meal in the Pines Village dining room with Ruth and Lou, Andrew was so excited at the sight of all the residents that he asked, “Are these all my cousins?”

With that sense of community, Ruth and Lou have found a home at Pines Village and have become among its biggest boosters for how it enriches Valparaiso and the surrounding community.

When the city wants to tap the opinions of its older residents, Pines Village is one of the first places city leaders head, Ruth says. The mayor delivers his State of City speech before residents each year and the school board chose Pines Village for one of its recent sessions to gather community input on the future of education in the city, Ruth notes.

With Effigy of the Cloven Hoof just published, Ruth and Lou are now at work on the writing and research of her second book, a pre-quel set in 1380.

And with no yard work to distract them, the Fosters are happily ensconced in the Middle Ages.

“Life is good,” Ruth says, with a nod from Lou.

We Celebrate Life is a collection of portraits, in words and photographs, of just some of the wonderful, extraordinary people who live, work and serve Pines Village Retirement Communities. View more >