Noella M. Howlett

Noella M. (Stenger) Howlett, 107, died on Monday, December 22, 2014, four days short of her 108th birthday. She was born on December 26, 1906, in Green Bay to George & Mary Patricia (Casey) Stenger, the day after Christmas. Her name means Little Christmas in French.

The city elders decided in 1913 that Noella, then seven years old, was in ill health and needed to be sent to the new Outdoor School Program at Howe School because she was too skinny, being the daughter of the butcher George Stenger. The "skinny little Stenger Girl" has lived to be very nearly 108 years old. This is a hundred years of being an active outdoors woman in a family of an outdoor husband and six children including one son who became a paid professional outdoorsman, teacher and researcher of the outdoors sciences. Noella had been active in the fields, forests, lakes and streams all over northeastern Wisconsin and upper Michigan in all seasons. She skied, snow shoed and skated in winter, sailed, canoed, fished, picked berries, swam, camped and observed nature all spring, summer and fall. A lot of hunting took place at the "Duck Shack" in Suamico and later at the cabin in Dunbar. She could cook any type of wild game very well. She stopped hunting when arthritis bothered her trigger finger, but she continued to be camp cook up to the last time the family could get to deer camp. Noella was also actively gardening both flowers and vegetables in the yard. Noella did all this and more on one kidney since the other was removed in 1943.

Noella Stenger was Christened at Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral, and has been a member of this parish ever since, except for time at college and when teaching French at Bishop Mesmer High School in Milwaukee. Noella did the later grades and high school at Saint Joesph Academy. She graduated magna cum laude from Mount Mary College, then Prarie du Chien, with majors in French and mathematics. She attended a graduate program in an immersive study of French at the Cleveland Institute for Languages. Noella taught French and mathematics first at Wrightstown High School and then at Mesmer where she was also active in the Milwaukee armature theater circuit. Noella performed in plays both in high school and college.

Noella married Dr. George F. Howlett, DDS, on the feast of Saint Peter & Paul, June 29, 1935, at the Cathedral. She was from time to time a dental assistant to her husband in the dental office in the Northern Building. All six children had a catholic education at the Cathedral. As a teacher she promoted education and all the children went on to various levels of higher education, some in mathematics or science. The Howlett family was also active in music. We listened to the Saturday broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, and attended the Civic Music Concert series. Noella played the piano. Doctor George took opera lessons from Lucille Musial and we listened to both of them and took turns winding up an old wind-up record player to listen to classical records including famous opera singers. Sometimes mother recorded the opera on a wire recorder, later a tape recorder, so we could hear the opera after skiing at Moon Valley Ski Club.

Noella remained active after Dr. George died in 1991, attending programs at the Brown County Library, the Weidner Center, and the Green Bay Civic Symphony, tutoring French speaking Vietnamese in English, and playing bridge until the age of 102. Noella was a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists and active in the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was an award winner in the Rose Society. She drove her Subaru until 97. She sailed with her daughter Dorthea until 4 years ago and canoed at the Retreat Center on Chambers Island 5 years ago. She fished for trout at the Miscauno Pond Association site in Marinette County ever year until recently and went to deer camp until 6 years ago. Noella was a faithful Catholic and attended daily mass every day until the fall that put her into the nursing care.

Noella is preceded in death by her parents, George & Mary P. Stenger; two sisters, Catherine Stenger & Agnes Hollmiller; husband, Dr. George; two sons, David & John (Kathleen) Howlett.

She is survived by George (Helen) Howlett Jr., Thomas M. (Alla) Howlett, Dorothea (Peter) Gottgetreau, Mary Hovde; daughter-in-law, Kathleen Howlett; as well as 18 grandchildren; and 23 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 9:30am until 10:45am on Saturday, December 27, 2014, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, 139 S. Madison St., Green Bay. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00am on Saturday at Cathedral with Rev. Brian Belongia officiating. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for the choir and organ program at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Noella's name.

The family extends thanks to the staffs of Santa Maria and Carrington Manor Nursing Homes for caring for her after a fall damaged her hip several years ago.