Madeleine Chittenden Noehren

Madeleine Chittenden Noehren
1917~2007
Madeleine Chittenden "Maddy" Noehren, loving wife of Theodore and mother of Nancy and Trudi, passed away peacefully on November 20, 2007. Born on April 2, 1917 in New York City, she was the daughter of Eva Bronson Sisson and Walter Lyon Chittenden. She spent her childhood in Binghamton, New York, with summers at Quaker Lake in Pennsylvania. Following the early deaths of her parents, she and her brother, Bill grew up under the rigorous and loving watch of Grandfather Sisson and Auntie Cecil. From early on, Maddy excelled at tennis and went on to become a local champion. She maintained her love for the game throughout her life. She graduated from The Shipley School in 1936 and Mt. Holyoke College in 1940. During one of her college-year summers, she met a handsome young counselor, Ted Noehren, at Camp Susquehannock. Their romance included college weekends at Williams or Holyoke, often singing together and enjoying sporting events. Early on, their strong Episcopal faith forged a deep bond between them. Ted used the pocket money he earned cutting hair at camp to buy her engagement ring and they were married on August 31, 1940; they had 67 years of love, mutual respect and happiness, during which time they lived in Rochester, N.Y., Binghamton, N.Y., Rochester, Minn., Buffalo, N.Y., and Salt Lake City, Utah. Maddy served on the Altar Guild of St. John's Church in Buffalo, New York, and as a member of the Buffalo Junior League. Maddy and Ted enjoyed their travels in America, Europe, Africa, and South America. In the late 1970's, they took a "great train adventure" in Europe, carrying their clothes in backpacks borrowed from their grandchildren, even spending one night on benches in the station because they had arrived too early to check into their hotel. Maddy's first interest, however, was always her family - her husband, her daughters and then their husbands, George and Harvey, four grandchildren, Tom, Amy, Milena, and Maja, and their spouses, Dianne, Bill, Kamal, and Andy. To her great delight, she also had four great-grandsons, Oscar, Simon, Hayden, and Brandon. During her final years, Ted provided wonderful care and comfort, enabling her to stay at home to the end of her life. It would be hard to imagine a sweeter soul or kinder spirit than Madeleine Noehren. She leaves us all deeply shaped by her legacy of goodness and generosity.
In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in her name to the charity of your choice. A memorial service in celebration of Maddy's life will be held on Saturday, January 12th, 2008. "Faith in God to know his ways are best; Faith in God for strength to meet the test."