Everard Lester Foulke, a representative member of the Wichita bar and senior member of the well known law firm of Foulke & Matson, is descended from sturdy German and from English ancestors. The Foulke family, which originated in Germany, removed first from that country to Wales, and thence to America. It became established in Gwynedd, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, in 1698 and in religion is identified with the Friends' denomination, Edward Lester Foulke of this review being a birthright member of that denomination.

Mr. Foulke is a native Kansan, having been born at Cottonwood Falls, Chase county, Oct. 25, 1868. He is the son of Watson Foulke and wife, whose maiden name was Olive Sayles. The father, whose life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, Oct. 20, 1826, and married Olive Sayles at Champaign, Ill., in 1859. The peril of the nation from the cloud of civil war that settled over it in 1861 caused him to leave his young wife and to enlist in the Tenth Illinois cavalry, which was organized at Camp Butler in the latter part of September, 1861, and was mustered into United States service on November 25, for three years. After the war he returned to his family in Illinois and in 1866 removed to Kansas, locating first in Chase county, from whence he removed to Butler county in 1869, becoming one of its pioneers. In 1883 he removed to Reno county where he resided until his death on Feb. 27, 1909. He was a son of Everard and Fannie (Watson) Foulke, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. Olive (Sayles) Foulke, the mother of our subject, is still living and resides at Haven, Kan. She was born in Ohio about 1836 and is the daughter of Asa and Amy (Ames) Sayles, the former of whom was of English descent and was a ship carpenter by occupation. To Watson and Olive (Sayles) Foulke were born six children, all of whom are living except one son, Merton, who died in infancy. Everard L. Foulke of this review was third in order of birth, the other four children living being: Mrs. Fannie Roderick, of Washington, Kan.; Myron S. Foulke, of Pratt, Kan.; Mrs. Amy Rohel, of Richland, Wash.; and Mrs. Grace Emery, of Castleton, Kan.

Everard Lester Foulke was reared on the farm and after completing the usual common school studies, attended the Wichita High School and Lewis Academy at Wichita. In early manhood he studied law at home and later continued his legal studies in the law office of Fred W. Casner at Hutchinson. Admitted to the bar in 1896, he practiced law one year in Hutchinson and in the fall of 1898 came to Wichita, which has since been the principal field of his professional labors. He is the senior member of the firm of Foulke & Matson, the Hon. Clifton A. Matson becoming his partner in 1896. Mr. Foulke is a member of the Sedgwick County Bar Association and of the Commercial Law League of America. The firm of Foulke & Matson is well and favorably known throughout the state, numbering among their clients several of the important financial and commercial concerns in Wichita, and they have appeared in connection with important litigations in both the state and federal courts. They have an extensive practice in Oklahoma and have been uniformly successful.

In politics Mr. Foulke is a Republican but has never been a candidate for official honors. He is a member of the Friends' church and is one of three trustees of the University monthly meeting of the church held at Wichita. He is a member of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce, and fraternally is an Odd Fellow. On Jan. 16, 1906, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Foulke and Miss Clara Updegraff of Wichita, but a native of Miami county, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Foulke have one daughter, Marjorie Foulke, born Dec. 24, 1908.