Verlene Treadwell

Verlene Bagley Treadwell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, on March 3, 1936, to the late James Bagley and Maggie Heath Bagley. She was the fourth of their five children. Verlene was educated in the Gastonia Public School System, graduating from Highland High School, and attended North Carolina State College in Durham, North Carolina. After leaving North Carolina in the late 1950s, Verlene moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she started her family. She was blessed with four daughters and two sons. At her brother’s urging, she joined him in New Haven, Connecticut, making New Haven her permanent residence. It was in New Haven in 1967 that she began her career in the field of Early Childhood Education. Her first experience with young children, other than her own, was volunteering in the pre-K program where her twin daughters were students. Verlene was a home daycare provider for two years before becoming a teacher at Elm Haven Day Care which later became Elm Haven Head Start. Teaching became her life’s work. In 1983, she was asked to be a part of a new program that would provide daycare for the children of employees of Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale Medical School. She loved her work and the children she cared for and retired in 2001, after 18 years of esteemed service at Yale. Verlene accepted Christ at an early age and was a longtime member of Community Baptist Church. Before age and health began to slow her down, for over fifty years she regularly attended service at Community Baptist church. She shared her love for children and volunteered at Community’s Head Start Program. Many church members called her, “the Hat Lady”. Verlene was a “fashionista” before the term was coined and always wore beautiful suits with matching hats. A proud moment was when her children gave her an exact replica of the hat Aretha Franklin wore at the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Verlene (affectionately called Queen V by her children) and Marion Mills, her companion of over 50 years, shared a home that was filled with love. After a lengthy illness, Marion passed away in March of 2023. Their home was the gathering place where family, friends, and extended family were always welcomed. Verlene was an amazing cook, best known for her highly requested macaroni and cheese. She loved to bake, barbeque and share her love for cooking with her family. She loved to entertain. It was always an enjoyable time, especially when her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends would get together at her home. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, James Winston, and John Allen (Bill), her sister, Maggie Virginia, and her grandson, Kenneth Bagley. Our matriarch, Queen V’s legacy will live on through her children, Bruce Bagley, New Haven, Connecticut; Bernice (Harold) Clark, Wilmington, Delaware; Bridgette (Bernie) Ford, Hamden, Connecticut; Melisa Coleman and Felisa Treadwell, New Haven, Connecticut; James (Aracely) Treadwell, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; a bonus daughter and son, Shawn Webb, Hamden, Connecticut and Marion Grant Mills, Middletown, Connecticut; nine grandchildren, Bridell (Latisha) Boykin; Mario Boykin; Sonny (Chakenna) Bagley; Emron Treadwell; Jocelyn Johnson; Semaj Treadwell; Jasmine Cornitcher; Kennisa Coleman; and Natalia Ford; eighteen great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; her sister, Edna DeBerry, Portsmouth, VA, her aunt, Cleo Jacobs, Columbia, SC; a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins; her two lifelong friends, Brenda Jennings and Martha Dye; and extended families who grew to love her over her many years in the Newhallville community.

Verlene Treadwell

March 3, 1936 - June 15, 2024