Esther Foreman

At 105 years old, Esther Foreman was Kansas City Kansas Community College’s oldest alum. The lifelong Wyandotte County resident had a strong connection to the college and worked to give back in a variety of ways. Sadly, on Jan. 30, Esther passed away.

When asked what led to her wonderful and long life, Esther was humble and said she did not have any interesting stories to tell. That, however, was far from the truth. Esther was a teacher, poet, pianist, philanthropist and a world traveler.

“On a few occasions throughout life, an opportunity allows you to meet an individual who has lived a remarkable life and someone who you will remember in your mind and heart forever,” said Dr. Greg Mosier, KCKCC President.  “Esther Foreman is definitely one of those people. Her remarkable commitment to education, philanthropy and art are a few of her contributions to the community.”

An only child, Esther was born in 1917. Her father worked for both the Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroads, which meant the family had the opportunity to travel throughout the United States. Her favorite destinations were cities along the East Coast where they visited historic locations such as Washington D.C. She graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1935, and then enrolled at what was then Kansas City Kansas Junior College.

At that time, KCKJC was located in the Horace Mann building on 8^th and State Avenue, KCKCC’s first campus. After graduating from KCKJC in 1937, she attended the University of Kansas, earning a bachelor’s degree in education. She returned to Wyandotte County to teach, but after three years, she was forced to leave education when she married. At the time, married women were not allowed to be in the classroom.

Esther loved music and playing the piano, which led her to work for Jenkins Music Company. She would play sheet music on the piano for customers. She loved playing music so much that she played the piano every day, even after losing her hearing in her 90s. After the start of World War II, she returned to teaching and taught at Eugene Ware Elementary School for 25 years before retiring at the age of 60.

After retirement, Esther volunteered with several community organizations. She also loved to travel, especially with friends from KCKCC. Organized by the late Henry Louis, KCKCC faculty, staff  and friends of the college began taking trips in the early 1970s. Esther’s first trip with the group was in 1997. Although she traveled around the world, one of her favorite trips was to Turkey. It was there she learned about the lives of early Christians and experienced the caves of Cappadocia. She enjoyed traveling with her friends and would write poems to record her memories of each trip she took.

One of her favorite and most impactful projects at KCKCC was the Cooper-Foreman Heirloom and Native Gardens, located on the north side of the Flint Building on the KCKCC campus. It is a collection of seven ethno-botanical gardens, funded by Esther and maintained by volunteers. The gardens were named for her parents, Ethel and Louis Cooper and for her late husband, Horace Foreman. All of them loved flowers and gardening. In 2008, the garden was moved from the Wyandotte County Museum to KCKCC. Esther visited the gardens often until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the gardens project, Esther’s legacy will live on. The garden’s mission is to promote a greater awareness and appreciation of the historic gardening culture in Wyandotte County prior to 1924. It also helps to teach children and adults how gardens looked, were tended and what plants were in gardens at that time.

“They serve as visual representations of the history of Wyandotte County from early Indian occupation to the twentieth century,” said Pam Louis-Walden, board member of the Cooper-Forman Heirloom Garden. “Each plant has been carefully chosen for the story it shares about its origins, the people who loved and nurtured it, and, in some cases, its contribution to the foods and medicines of local people. All plants lure the casual observer to appreciate their beauty, while encouraging contemplative reverie.”

Esther was not only KCKCC’s oldest alumna but she truly lived the mission of inspiring individuals and enriching her community. She will be missed by her BlueDevil family.