They are the Nobles, and nobility has defined their household and how they live and work. The dynamic couple has had fulfilling careers and extensive community involvement while raising four children: Ken Jr., Tammy, Kali and Joy.
Ken, 83, and Cindy, 78, met in the Town of Marathon when Ken asked her to dance. He was working at the mill, and England-born Cindy lived with her parents, including her Canadian father, who moved his family home when Cindy was four years old.
“We seemed to be compatible,” Ken said. “We got along exceptionally well. We did not fight for the first 10 years. We enjoyed each other’s company, and we got along really well. We’ve had some ups and downs, but we got through them.”
Ken was born and raised on a farm in Stratton, and although it was not his forte, he gave it a shot when he and Cindy returned to the district in 1965.
“I managed the Husky service station on the edge of town here for three years,” Ken said. “Then I started as a letter carrier at Canada Post and retired in 1999, after 30 years.”
Ken also has had a monument making business as a sideline, Noble Monuments, for 35 years.
Cindy, too, got in the workforce when they moved back to Fort Frances and her children were a little bit older.
“I started with Bell Canada,” she said. “I was an operator for 13 years until they closed it in 1970. Then I started to work as a receptionist for Dr. Miller on Scott Street from 1983 until he retired in 1990. And then, I transferred over to another dentist who took over his practice. I was there until 2000.”
Cindy then decided to take a short time off to make time for her grandchildren and relax.
“We were enjoying our retirement,” she said. “Then once the grandkids got too old, they weren’t coming around quite so often. I started volunteering at the senior centre.”
The Nobles have always been active in the sports community. Ken played many sports, including hockey, golf, curling, and baseball.
It was 2007, and Cindy started helping in the centre’s kitchen once a week. When kitchen manager Nick Wihnan was in the hospital, he asked Cindy to take over. Cindy remained in the position when Wihnan died.
“Before it was Nick’s place, he did it by his rules. When I took over, I told them this was not my place, this is your place, and I want it to be good for you,” Cindy said. “I have always been very receptive to what they wanted to change what they wanted to do, try to get more people involved and just cater to them as much as I can because it’s supposed to be a fun place and a good place where they can go and meet friends and talk and have a good time.”
Cindy was also the reason Ken is now the woodworking teacher extraordinaire. Ken said he had never been to the Senior Centre until Cindy took over the manager position.
“I went down to see what was happening,” Ken said. “I saw they had a workshop. I was interested in that because I like woodturning. I spend most of my time now at the centre and the wood shop.”
Ken added that when he found that the workshop was not utilized to its full potential, he put the feelers out to see if women would be interested in woodworking. The response was very positive, and now the centre holds four classes a week.
“We have 12 ladies that come and more on the list,” Ken said. “I find that very satisfying because some of them didn’t know anything about woodworking or machinery. We work on the safety aspect first, and then I help them with little projects, and then they come with bigger projects.”
Ken has some helpers, and together they help beginners, both men and women, to learn and grow.
Raising kids was always a partnership for the couple.
“We had a rule. If one of the kids asked her for something and she said no, I backed it up. If I said no, she backed it up,” Ken said. “It’s a rule we had, so we’re always on the same page. [Cindy] is also a strong one. She used to threaten the kids with a wooden spoon.”
The Nobles will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in May, and their recipe for a successful marriage: talking.
“We do a lot of talking. Sometimes some yelling but mostly talking to get it through,” Cindy chuckled. “You make a commitment, so you try and make it work.”
On the other hand, Ken has a simple recipe for a happy and successful marriage. Always, he said, always say “yes, dear.”
