Mildred Lucille Noggle

With her kind and gracious spirit, Mildred Noggle was a blessing to everyone she met. She was a longtime resident of the community she loved, and her warm and approachable demeanor made her the sort of person everyone seemed to know. Mildred was a hardworking woman who worked tirelessly alongside the love of her life, and together they created a family that was her greatest source of pride and joy. She was thoughtful, kind, and quick to send a card as she never forgot the special day of the ones she loved. Life will never be the same without Mildred here, but she leaves behind a timeless legacy that her family will proudly carry on in her footsteps.

It was great to be an American during the decade that we commonly recall as the Roaring Twenties. Jazz music was the music of the day while motion pictures came to life with both color and sound during this time. Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth made baseball America’s favorite pastime, and Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart explored new horizons in the sky. Amidst this exciting time was the year 1925 that was filled with great joy for Ford F. and Helen M. (McFeters) Keys were pleased to announce the birth of the baby girl they named Mildred Lucille on March 9th, in Jackson, Michigan. She was the third of nine Keys children as she was raised in the family home in Defiance County, Ohio, alongside her siblings, Gladys, Leon, Donald, Betty, Ethel, Harold, Larry, Pauline, and Robert. Mildred’s father worked as a general laborer for farmers while her mother had more than enough to keep busy with at home. Later on, her father took a job on the railroad. As a student at Defiance High School, Mildred excelled in math. This served her well later in life when she kept the books for her husband’s farm work.

It was as a young woman that Mildred met the young man of her dreams. His name was Lee Noggle, and they met while she was working at his sister’s place, the Oak Inn Bar & Restaurant, in Cecil, Ohio. Sparks soon flew between them, and it didn’t take the couple long to fall deeply in love. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Mildred and Lee were married on April 1, 1942. They kept their marriage a secret from her mother for two months because she was already living at the Oak Inn. When her mother finally found out, she responded with, “You think you are pretty smart!” Together Mildred and Lee welcomed three children including Roy, Donna, and Randy into their hearts and home. She and her husband never argued, and they were true partners in everything they did. Mildred and Lee worked the farm together, and they raised their family together as well. Life was always simple, which was just fine with Mildred, and it made everything ordinary all the more special. Mildred and Lee both made their family their priority. They celebrated birthdays with her siblings with simple ice cream and cake for years.

If there was one thing Mildred was, it was determined. She raised animals, and there was one time when Roy was a small boy and a calf got out. Since she was worried that the horses in the pasture might hurt it, Mildred tied Roy to the stove to retrieve the calf. To her surprise, she returned to find that Roy had opened the stove where she stored her flour and had thrown it all around the room! There was also the time in the mid-2000s when there was 12 inches of rain in eight hours in her area. Mildred and Helen Mumma decided to drive and check the water. Going down road 95, the water was across the road. She drove into it, flooding the truck. When her grandson went to rescue her, he asked her what she was thinking. Mildred responded, “Well, honey, there were no road closed signs.” It has been said that there so much water there were no road closed signs left in the county. But, Mildred wasn’t phased by any of it and climbed out of the truck window despite being in her eighties!

Always one to be busy, Mildred was a woman of many interests. A woman of faith, her church, Country Chapel Church, was an important part of her life. Mildred loved gardening and was an avid reader who loved reading about the Amish. She also enjoyed playing Bingo and kept a diary for several years. Mildred loved keeping in touch with others, frequently writing letters and sending cards for birthdays and other special days.

Faithful, generous, and caring, Mildred Noggle lived a rich and rewarding life spent with the ones she loved. She was quick to show appreciation and let others know she was thinking of them without an unkind word to say about anyone. Mildred found her greatest joy in being surrounded by the ones she loved, and there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her family and friends. Deeply cherished, she will be forever missed.

Mildred Lucille Noggle, of Haviland, passed away Thursday, July 13, 2017, at Van Wert Inpatient Hospice Center. Mildred’s family includes her children, Roy (JoAnn) Noggle, Donna (Paul) Fishbaugh & Randy (Margaret) Noggle; siblings, Pauline Cordray & Robert Keys; 5 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren. Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, Lee Noggle, and her her siblings, Gladys & Leon Gallant, Donald Keys, Betty DeVault, Ethel Goodwin, Harold & Larry Keys. Mildred’s funeral ceremony is Tuesday, 11 a.m., with viewing one hour prior at Dooley Funeral Home, 5761 SR 500, Payne. Viewing is also Monday, 4 - 8 p.m. at Dooley Funeral Home. Mildred will be laid to rest at Blue Creek Cemetery. Memorials are to the Country Inn Activity Fund or The Country Chapel Church. Fond memories may be shared at www.dooleyfuneralhome.com

Mildred Lucille Noggle, 92 of Haviland passed away Thursday, July 13, 2017 at Van Wert Inpatient Hospice Center. 

Mildred was born March 9, 1925 in Jackson, MI a daughter of the late Ford & Helen (McFeters) Keys.

She was a kind devoted wife and mother who farmed alongside her husband. She was a faithful member of the Country Chapel Church.

Mildred will be sadly missed by her children, Roy (JoAnn) Noggle of haviland, Donna (Paul) Fishbaugh of Clyde & Randy (Margaret) Noggle of Haviland; siblings, Pauline Cordray & Robert Keys; 5 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. 

On April 1, 1942 she married Lee Noggle, who passed away Dec. 31, 1994. Also preceding her in death were her siblings, Gladys & Leon Gallant, Donald Keys, Betty DeVault, Ethel Goodwin, Harold & Larry Keys.

Her funeral ceremony is Tuesday, 11 am, with viewing one hour prior at Dooley Funeral Home, 5761 SR 500, Payne.

Viewing is also Monday, 4 - 8 pm at Dooley Funeral Home.

She will be laid to rest at Blue Creek Cemetery. 

Memorials are to the Country Inn Activity Fund or The Country Chapel Church

Fond memories may be shared at www.dooleyfuneralhome.com

Flowers and other tributes may be delivered Monday between 9 am and 1 pm.

Please click on SERVICE DETAILS for directions to the funeral home.