Verdell Foster

Verdell O. Foster of Lowell, Michigan, age 98, passed peacefully at home on August 16, 2025. She was born Verdell Orethea Wells on November 15, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan. She was the third child of John Wesley and Bertha Louise Wells' seven children.

Raised in Hamtramck, Michigan, Verdell's youth was rife with challenges and triumphs. Diagnosed with spinal meningitis at the age of seven, she was separated from her parents and siblings for a time. She also lost nearly a year in school during that time, but Verdell would bounce back, not only reclaiming that lost year, but also graduating a year early at the age of 17 in 1944. While attending Hamtramck High School, Verdell became the first black female percussionist to perform with her high school band. She would take that talent on college, becoming the first black female percussionist in both the Wayne (State) University concert band and symphony orchestra. For her efforts, Verdell was the recipient of many honors and medals.

As a child, Verdell loved to play marbles. In her young adult years, she became an avid pool player and equestrian. She loved donning the sleekest outfits in which to ride. She was also a gifted mathematician, offering her knowledge to her younger relatives seeking tutoring from her. She was also proficient in Latin and learned some conversational German and Polish.

Verdell enlisted in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. She served with the Women's Medical Corps, the first woman in her family to serve in the Armed Forces. She would also obtain a bachelor's degree from Wayne State in Social Work.

Verdell married Malcolm Grant Foster Sr. (D) on March 9, 1957. They would have two children, a son, Malcolm Jr., and a daughter, Valerie. Verdell and Malcolm were doting parents to their children, providing them with outlets away from the sometimes harsh inner-city streets of Detroit. When the children were young, Verdell and Malcolm took them on days-long road trips, so that they could see the beauty of the US and Canada. Later, Verdell purchased a plot of land at a homesite development in Antrim County, Northern lower Michigan, where her children would spend their summers frolicking in the woods, skipping stones, riding motorcycles and learning how to swim.

Adversity would challenge Verdell again in 1980 when Malcolm Sr. tragically passed away. She would forge ahead, however, seeing to it that her then teenaged children would receive an education beyond high school. Later, after years as a civil servant with the IRS, the US Postal Service and, later, the US Census, Verdell retired in 1991. In her late 80s, Verdell would leave her Detroit residence of almost 30 years to join daughter Valerie and her family in their rural Lowell home. It was there where she watched her grandsons grow up and graduate.

Verdell was a protector and nurturer who exuded wisdom and compassion to those she knew and loved. She had been a witness to many changes and advancements in her long life. Verdell observed the rise of the automobile and the Great Depression to the Civil Rights movement to the advent of the internet and AI. She lived through five US wars, five British monarchs and 17 US presidencies. And in her latest years, she was surrounded by family and food, observing the beautiful bedlam of her grandsons and their friends, as she enjoyed the tranquility of a country setting reminiscent of her days in Northern Michigan.

Verdell is survived by her son Malcolm Jr., daughter Valerie (Sharmin Berlin) Foster, grandsons Aaron and David, sister Manzella (Benjamin) Vincent and brother Robert Timothy Wells. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Leo and John, Jr. and sisters Juanita Ford and Joyce Dotson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of West Michigan.

You may also show your support by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Verdell.

In accordance with the wishes of the family, cremation will take place privately. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in the near future for Verdell in Detroit.