Francis Gilbert (Red) Noe |
Born: 20 October 1905
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Died: 02 October 1987
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Red was the eldest of five children of Bernard Noe and Agnes Bartley. His nickname referred to his red hair.
As a young child, he lived in Richfield Township, Lucas County, at the northeast corner of Sylvania Avenue and Fulton-Lucas County Road. In 1912 or 1913, his family moved to Momeneetown, Ohio, where they worked Gebhard Bartley's farm. He moved to Swanton, Ohio with his parents when he was 21 (about 1927), and worked as a mechanic for the Pilliod Company. He lived with the Kiefer family in Detroit for a time in 1930 while being trained as an auto mechanic.
Red met Bernetta Lumbrezer, his future wife, at a roller skating rink in 1930, and they married on 30 June 1932 at St. Mary's in Assumption, Ohio. During their honeymoon, they visited his wife's relatives in Knox County, Indiana.
Red and his wife had two children in 1935 and 1940.
Red and Bernetta first lived in a house on Cass Street in Swanton that has since been torn down. In 1935, the family moved to 235 North Main Street in Swanton. Around 1936, the family moved to Carroll, Ohio (Fairfield County, southeast of Columbus). Red worked as a farmer for Jim Dove (1889-1970) for about nine months. Between 1937 and February 1940, he worked for a Chevrolet garage in Canal Winchester, Ohio (Franklin County, six miles northwest of Carroll).
The family then moved back to Swanton, living at 102 Cass Street, across the street from Red's father. His second child was born there. He then bought the house at 231 North Main Street. From 1940 until about 1958 he was employed as a mechanic at Buckeye Chevrolet (later McNeill Chevrolet).
He then sold the Main Street house and moved into an apartment above the St. Richard school bus garage. He worked for the St. Richard parish for about three years, and then as a carpenter for Clendenin and Wells. He and his wife also lived at 124 St. Richard's Court in Swanton for a short period.
Red built a cottage on Devils Lake (Lenawee County, Michigan, northwest of Adrian) in 1950; his brother Lawrence helped him build it. He sold the cottage in 1958 or 1959. He then built the house at 124 Elm Street in Swanton around 1962.
He worked as a self-employed carpenter until he retired in 1980. He and Bernetta celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1982, and the picture shown here is from that event. He was a board member of the Swanton Chapter of the Knights of Columbus for more than 30 years.
Red died at his home on Elm Street at age 81 from cancer of the kidneys, and was buried on 5 October 1987 in the St. Richard cemetery in Swanton.
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