Justin and Erin Foxhoven: Keeping Faith Central to the Family

As Justin Foxhoven strolled through the Lewis & Clark Lake Campgrounds Memorial Day weekend in 2006, he noticed a grass green 1976 Volkswagen Westfalia and was immediately enchanted. He had to meet the owner.

While Erin’s campervan, lovingly named Fred, might not actually have been what drew Justin to the love of his life — Justin had just stopped by to say hi to one of his former Northeast Community College instructors who happened to be camping with the same group as Erin — it was clear that something special was to come of that night.

Exactly two years later, Justin proposed to Erin at the same spot, and just over a year after, the couple got married June 27, 2009, at St. Rose Church in Crofton.

Coming Back to the Faith

Though Erin had been baptized Catholic and completed her First Communion, she had never been confirmed and was not practicing when she first met Justin. However, his faith intrigued her, and she decided to start practicing again alongside him and his family.

“It wasn’t until seeing how much his church and faith meant to him and his family that I decided it was time to come ‘full circle’ in the Church,” she said.

It wasn’t long before Erin’s relationship with God grew, and she found comfort and peace in Him through all the trials she had been facing.

In 2005, Erin’s father had been diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, which is explained as having Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s simultaneously. It was a hard reality for Erin to face, but once she turned to God, she found solace in trusting God’s plan.

“God has helped tremendously with coming to terms with my father’s diagnosis,” she said. “Turning to Him when we don’t understand His plan or the ‘Why me?’ questions is a key part of our faith.”

Trusting in His Plan

Erin was fully initiated into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass in 2009 just a few months before she and Justin married. Her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Brenda, served as her sponsor.

“Choosing Brenda as my sponsor was easy,” she said. “She was always faithful and served her church in many ways. I really admired her for that. She made her faith a priority and you could tell by the way she lived.”

Brenda not only served her church, but also her family. Erin and Justin often thought of her as the hub of a wheel for their family: “the center of everything but never wanted to be the center of anything.”

That’s why Dec. 26, 2021, became one of the most heartbreaking days of the Foxhovens’ lives. Brenda passed away unexpectedly, leaving a large hole in their family and hearts.

“She was the glue that held the family together,” Justin said. “Life without her has been a challenge to navigate.”

In this time of sorrow, the Foxhovens’ turned once again to God.

“At first we were asking, ‘Why? Why do You take the good ones?’” they said. “Then we realized: He needed her with Him. We don’t have to understand why.”

Staying the Course

Throughout their entire lives together, Erin and Justin have always had God at the center of their relationship. They praised Him when He gave them their children Ian (14) and Layla (12). They turned to Him for comfort during times of loss, including that of Erin’s dad in 2017 and step-mother in 2024. They continue to glorify Him through their service to their parish and community.

During the week, Justin runs his own construction business, J Fox Construction, and farms with his dad and brother. On the weekends, he serves as an usher for St. Rose Church in Crofton, where he’s been a member since he was a child. Erin works as the administrative assistant for St. Rose Parish and School and is a part of the Ladies Guild and Christian Mothers groups, even serving as Ladies Guild President in 2015. She also was a member of the Parish Council in 2019. Both Erin and Justin are chairmen for the annual St. Rose Fish Fry. Their children, Ian and Layla, are altar servers.

If that’s not enough to keep them busy, the family manages to find time for football, FFA, 4-H, volleyball, softball, and additional volunteer work in the community, including the Crofton Volunteer Fire Department for Justin and the Crofton Volunteer Fields for Erin. Justin and Ian are members of the Sons of the American Legion, Erin is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 128, and Layla is a Junior Auxiliary member.

Despite their busy lives, the Foxhovens always try to keep their faith at the center, understanding that at the end of the day, their goal is to meet Jesus and reunite with all the loved ones they’ve lost in Heaven.

“We all find comfort in knowing that they are in Heaven, and we will be reunited with them someday,” Justin said.

Erin added, “We put all of our trust in Him, knowing that He knows what’s best for us.”