A condensed biography of a man that wouldn’t give up!!!

     Captain Butch Foster was born in Lexington,NC to Lester and Jimmie Foster and grew up in the rural community of Reeds Crossroads. Here he went to Reeds Elementary School and West Davidson High School and during the summers when he was not mowing yards he was fishing at his grandpa’s carp ponds. His grandpa, from his mothers side, Dan Crews, was Captain Butch’s hero and the only one in his family that shared the same love for fishing, so every chance they had, they headed to the coast!!!

    Captain Butch never did like school and back at that time in history school did not play the role it does today but still he hung in there until he was 16. At the age of 16 he developed Crohn’s Disease, a disease that was not even named at that time and very little was  known about the illness like it is today. The pressures and complications from the Crohn’s caused Captain Butch’s school work to suffer to the point that he finally gave up and quit.

    The fact that he quit school would never leave his mind and he was determined to show he could make it anyway. He tried a job in a furniture factory but with the complications from the illness he couldn’t hold out. Captain Butch decided that he could work for himself and be able to handle the complications and the pain from his condition with Crohn’s Disease, but what could he do? During this time he met Barbara Lassiter from the Churchland,NC community. They had gone to school together but never even noticed each other there!! They dated a few years and were married in 1972, and still are today!!!!

    Taxidermy, that’s it, this was right up his alley. He liked the fishing and hunting that was instilled into him by his grandpa!! He studied the techniques and ways and started his venture into the world of Taxidermy. He was very determined to master this, and he did. He became very well known for his mounts. Only problem was he was way before this type of arts time. The late 60’s, early 70’s was no time for luxury items like mounted animals and fish. But Captain Butch pushed on for several years in Taxidermy.

    Early to mid 70’s brought the fuel crises and just like today prices went up and fuel was even rationed and most service stations were out of gas. This stopped all the unnecessary items and the Taxidermy business all but quit. People couldn’t afford any luxury items now, boy, speaking of history repeating itself!!!

    By this time Captain Butch had some friends in the Truck driving business. So, Captain Butch started driving for Miller TV, a subsidiary of RCA. He drove for a few years then a new operation opened up near his home in Spencer,NC. It was owned by James “Jim” Swing and it was hauling boxes and Captain Butch took a job there driving. Captain Butch’s tractor trailer driving lasted about 18 years total before his illness and his doctor had him to stop driving due to complications. At this point Captain Butch was offered disability, he promptly refused, he could make it on his own, he knew he could!!!!!

    By this time, things were not looking good. Captain Butch was down to 98 pounds and getting weaker by the day, but still determined to make his own way. He got a call from his Doctor, and was told about a new experimental drug that he could give Captain Butch but he would have to go in the hospital and take it. Captain Butch agreed to try it!! It was a giant breakthrough for Crohn’s patients. Seven months after the treatment , Captain Butch weighed 240 lbs. his illness was in remission and still is today.

    Now he felt a lot better, was stronger, felt like living again but there was something still void in his life. Captain Butch met two guys that would be instrumental in getting him where he is today. They were Edgar Thomas and Harry Brittain. Edgar was plant Manager of Frank IX and Sons and Harry was plant manager. This was a Textile mill that used Carbon Fiber Rapiers on their weaving looms. These things break, were very expensive to replace and they afforded Captain Butch the opportunity to try and repair one. This had been tried by the R&D departments of various mills in the past with no success. Captain Butch’s first few attempts were also a failure. But not willing to give up, well, Captain Butch holds the US PATENT #4,817,679 for the repair of a Carbon Fiber rapier. This was the work he had been looking for, this gave him plenty of time to fish at the coast, his true love, but never had time to do much in the past. Captain Butch could have ripped these companies off but instead charged a fair price for the work he did, just making a living, not getting rich. This same principal is still observed today in the Charter Business, trying to keep it where the “working man” can afford to have some fun and not have to work all the time!!

    He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was still a void in his life. The confusing part was that with all he had been through with the Crohn’s Disease and the way he had pushed to get to where he was today, how could something still be void in his life? He had proved he could make it on his own even with all the “stumbling blocks” in his way!!! Well, Captain Butch found the void in his life, on January 2^nd, 1986, he and wife Barbara had a son, Christopher Ray Foster. This was only rivaled by the day he married Barbara. Chris became Captain Butch’s life. When you saw one, the other was close by. A dad’s bond to a child could never be any stronger than Captain Butch’s love for Chris. Chris’s love for saltwater fishing was as strong as his dads, and Captain Butch’s prayers were finally answered. This was it, we were moving to the coast and Chris and he were going to start a Charter Service. Chris’s response was “YEAH RIGHT”, so came the Charter name!! Chris’s love for the charter business and saltwater fishing grew and at age 18, there were two Captains in the family, Captain Chris Foster !!!! A dad could never be any more proud than he was at that time!!!!

    This lasted a couple of years and Captain Chris decided that he had to try it on his own, just like Captain Butch had to do. We THANK GOD EVERY DAY that Captain Chris is healthy and pray everyday he won’t be held back by his health as Captain Butch was, it is a tough, cruel way to live!! So, today Captain Butch carries on the Charter Business thinking that someday Captain Chris may decide to come back to it, and if it’s God's will and Captian Butch can hold out, it will be done and here for him!! Only God knows what the future holds for us!!

   Captain Butch has met a lot of people and made a lot of friends over the years and they were and are instrumental in one way or another for him to be where he is today. He hopes they all have fond memories of him and that he has not befriended anyone in his life’s endeavors. There is no way he  could list them all without surely missing someone, so we will not try!!

  Fortunately, the list of deceptive people we have met over the years is small and we could list these and not miss anyone, but, we won't list those either.            

  Captain Butch has just took the experience with these people as another of life's lessons and seperated himself from the undesirables knowing that their ways will eventually lead to their self destruction. God says "Your ways will find you out" and "You will reap what you sow"

  But, he has charged foreward and learned that no amount of money is worth having to live a life that won’t let you enjoy all life has to offer!! And if you don't earn your wages honestly, and have compassion for your fellow man,you are only destroying yourself. "God will not let you to continue to decieve"!!

  Very few people ever get to do what they want to do for a living, most are too busy making money!! It was a long tough road to where he is today and he works more hours than he ever thought possible, has less time than he has ever had to get all the things he needs to get done, done and heaven only knows why he loves it like he does, My guess it's because he did it on his own with the help of God, his strong love and desire for helping others, the miracles of medicine, the drive to not give up, support of his wife Barbara, God's miracle of Captain Christopher Ray, he has now found his place on this earth and why he was put here, To pass on God's word, To raise and cherish a son, To provide a 110% committment to his wife, son, and business, To help other people have a great time and catch fish, and to achieve these goals, "Yeah Right Charters" was formed to help carry on his dreams!!!! SO, PLEASE,DON’T EVER GIVE UP AND YOUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!!!!

Till next time, FISH ON!!! Barbara Foster, Oh Yeah, “Admiral Bodie” the fish dog says HI!!!