I will always remember Noel in his trademark bib overalls, that he always wore shooting.

Noel Every Sugden:  August 21, 1928 - October 1, 2010

Noel was born in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Denby HS in Detroit and then joined the Army.  He always said that he served when the US had no declared hostilities.

After Noel returned from the Army, his parents had moved to Mayville.  This is were he met Berniece working in the post office.  He always said he had a lot of business at the post office during their courtship.  He worked for the Detroit Edison Co. as a lineman.  He transferred to Lapeer, Michigan and lived there a few years before finding a farm in Mayville, Michigan.  Mayville is 12 miles north of Lapeer. 

Berniece was Noel's one love and they were married until Berniece died of  lymphoma cancer about 20 years ago.  Noel and Berniece had no children and he was an only child.  Noel and Berniece had a Christmas tradition of setting a limit on gift spending down to the penny.  Noel describes having to buy a spool of thread to meet the limit.  Noel's second love was shooting and was gone almost every weekend.  Unknown to Noel, Berniece ordered a pre 64 model 70 target rifle and came in the house holding her rifle saying if you are going to be gone every weekend, so am I.   Berniece was the first woman on the USA Palma Team in 1976.   Noel and I traveled on many shooting trips in the US and overseas, including England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.

On Noel's farm he built a 300 yd range with 4 targets. We built a platform in an adjoining field to shoot over a hill and got 500 yds.  Additionally, Noel had a hunting cabin in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where they spent every November hunting in the woods with Berniece and Noel's parents. In his later years after Berniece and his parents had passed, he invited me and another close friends to the cabin. A one room cabin with a wood stove and gas lights.

After spending 2 months in the hospital he died from respiratory failure/pneumonia as the result of a perforated bowel .  Both Noel and Berniece were cremated and will be joined in a cemetery close the their house.  Noel setup a education trust, in Berniece's name, from his assets to be used for scholarships in Rich Township where they lived.

by:  Peter B. Church