He contracted tuberculosis which destroyed his health and created a vicious cycle of hospitalization, working hard to try to catch up on finances and back into the hospital with recurrent bouts of TB. Consequently, the family moved often in order to match opportunities with dad's capabilities.

Being the next to the youngest in a family of eight children meant that he was exposed to every type of escapade that children could devise. To this day, he is not totally sure whether the things he remembers happened to him or if they happened to his siblings and thus became a part of his memories. However, life was interesting and always a challenge. His sister Muriel tried to kill him as a child and brother Ben had a million different ways of getting them both in trouble. Great memories and funny too!

Because of his father's uncertain work status, all the children worked whenever possible and turned the money over to their mother to help pay living expenses. This was never questioned as being unfair - it was just an accepted thing that the family came first. Part-time work included starting the furnace fires in the school and banking them at night. This meant getting up at 5 o'clock, walking a mile to school, back home to do chores, and back to school for classes. Jobs through high school included picking potatoes in The Red River Valley, working for farmers during haying and harvest seasons, setting pins in a bowling alley, and even cleaning out chicken coops for a group of chicken farmers.

Noel graduated from a one room rural school and then attended High School in Battle Lake, Minnesota where he graduated in 1953. He enrolled in classes at The University of Minnesota, but quickly discovered that working full time, attending classes, and studying were not necessarily compatible. The GI bill seemed like a promising alternative, so Noel enlisted in the Army for a 3-year stint. Basic Training at Ft Riley in Kansas and communications training at Ft Devons in Massachusetts were the prerequisites for duties with The Army Security Agency in Germany until December of 1956.

Upon getting discharged from the Army, Noel got a job with Thermo King in Minneapolis and enrolled in night school at The University. This is the time in their lives when Noel and Jan met and a whole new scenario opened up.



Jan & Noel Stenoien

One Saturday evening, Jan went to the Marigold Ballroom in Minneapolis with her girl friend and, it was here that she met Noel who, after repeated pestering, got her to dance with him.

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