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Bill Noble's widow, Polly, dies in Washington
Polly web
Polly Noble passed away Sept. 9, 2014 in Washington State. She was the widow of former Ceres Courier columnist Bill Noble. - photo by Contributed to the Courier

Alberta P. "Polly" Noble, wife of former Ceres Courier columnist and Ceres book author Bill Noble, has died at the age of 87. She died Sept. 9, 2014 in Washington state from complications following a heart attack.

At her request, there will be no services.

Born Sept. 2, 1927 in Concordia, Kan., to Virginia and Alberta Bessette, Polly was the youngest of four children, Lucille Marie being the eldest, then Armand Valentine, Doris Mae and little Polly. Polly loved to go visit her "aunties" and uncles on the ranch in Aurora, Kansas and repeated many happy memories of her youth there. One of her first jobs was working at the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia as an usherette. Loving to dance, she tagged along with Doris any time she could to the local dances and became a real jitter-bug queen. After World War II, Polly headed to California with Doris and settled in Modesto. Polly found work at the local five and dime store as a window dresser.

Polly and Doris would frequent the dances held in Oakdale where on one night in 1950 Polly met Ceres High School graduate Bill Noble. He showed magic tricks and a nice smile and they were married in June 1950 in Reno. They started their life out with only $250, but lots of love that carried them through. On his father's ranch on South Central Avenue, the couple grew grapes and pumpkins, with Polly driving the tractor during the harvest. The marriage produced three children in Diane, Bruce, and Ann. Later The Nobles grew almonds with their children helping in the harvest.

After Ann entered school, Polly found a job at the school attended by her kids and was secretary to the principal.
In 1969 Polly and Bill moved from Ceres to Tulare where she became bookkeeper for the gas and oil business Bill took over. In 1974, they moved to Gustine and bought out another oil distributor. There they stayed, retiring in 1988, and then moving to Modesto in 1993 to be closer to family. In 2000 they moved to Sequim, Wash., following Diane and husband Steve.

Polly helped Bill write columns for the Courier between 2004 and 2008, looking back on life growing up in Ceres. When Bill died from cancer on June 28, 2008, Polly and daughter Ann edited the columns into book form "The Once Little Town of Ceres."

Polly sold their homein 2010 and spent the rest of her years at an assisted living facility where she made many friends.

Mrs. Noble leaves behind daughter Diane and son-in-law Steve Zipser, daughter Ann Noble, and son Bruce and daughter-in-law Karen Noble, all of Sequim, Wash.; her sister, Lucille Marie Hood of Modesto; three grandsons, one granddaughter, one great-granddaughter, two great-grandsons, two nieces and three nephews.