Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church in Spicer for Valeria T. “Val” Philabaum Foster, age 100, of New London. Val passed away peacefully on Friday, May 8th at her home in New London. Reverend Ronald Huberty will officiate. Burial will take place in the St. Agnes Parish Cemetery in Roscoe.
Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20th, at the Daniel-Anderson Funeral Home in Paynesville and will continue after 10 a.m. on Thursday at the church in Spicer.
Val was born April 7, 1926, on the family farm near Roscoe to John and Anna (Braegelmann) Flint. She attended country school and then graduated from Paynesville High School in 1944. Following graduation, Val worked for the Defense Plant in St. Cloud during WWII. After, she went to the St. Cloud Beauty College where she became a licensed beautician.
Val moved to the State of Virginia with her sister Sally where she met and married John Philabaum. As John served in the Navy, their lives evolved around military life. She worked as a beautician while raising their four children. After living in Portsmouth, Virginia for 20 years, the family returned to her hometown of Roscoe, MN.
Val later married Norris Foster and they lived in Benson, MN. When Norris retired from the turkey business, they moved to Nest Lake in Spicer. Norris passed away in 1995. Val continued to enjoy lake life until moving to a patio home in New London in 2009 where she remarkably remained living independently the rest of her life.
Val was known as a master quilter and gifted seamstress, and her hands were rarely still. She belonged to several quilting groups, and her handmade gifts have become treasured heirlooms. She also enjoyed reading, bowling, playing cards, cooking and baking. She made lifelong friends and was admired for her quiet presence, quick humor, sharp wit, wisdom, beauty, strength and resilience.
Val is survived by her four children Richard (Marleen) Philabaum, Dennis (Diane) Philabaum, Janet Ehrlichman and Kathryn (Steven) Nass, 8 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild as well as stepchildren Lynn (Kip) Pahl, Joan Foster, Lori Foster and Kim (Jim) Hippen and their families.
Preceding Val in death were her parents, husband Norris Foster, former husband John Philabaum, five brothers, four sisters and stepson Allen Foster.
The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Val’s hospice team for the tender and compassionate care that allowed her to remain in her home beyond 100 years of age.
