View Message

why is it clear it is a suffix? if it were a suffix it would be "Cookfoster" or even "Cook Foster" (however the later case is very unlikely, when names have elements separated by an empty space these elements are often, if not always, a preposition and/or an article which "foster" obviously isn't)... You never get a name with a comma included on it... So nope, "foster" is no suffix there... It may imply foster child but it certainly is not part of the surname... A historian with expertise in early 20th century US documents or a philologist with the same expertise would have a better chance understanding what is meant by "Foster" in this context...