Noelle Carol Yager

Noelle Carol (Wissner) Yager, 75, of Grand Rapids, MI passed away peacefully at her home of 38 years on Saturday August 19, 2023 surrounded by family and with her beloved dog “Coco” lying at her side.

Born in Manistee, MI on Christmas Day, 1947, she spent her childhood and teenage years here before graduating class of 1966 from Manistee Catholic Central. She was truly the gift that kept giving. Her love for shopping was always apparent and she would always make sure no one went without a gift on Christmas. She was a regular at craft shows, art fairs, and flea markets; and took pride in a collection of “finds” that were on display throughout the year in her yard, inside her home and for every holiday, especially on Christmas.

She enjoyed reading and clipping newspaper articles / factoids with “tips for life,” crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles, trips to the slots at the casino and a good game of bingo. She was a licensed cosmetologist in Michigan and while attending cosmetology school in Kalamazoo, MI, in May of 1980, pregnant with her second son, survived the F3 Tornado that tore through downtown Kalamazoo and directly hit the building where she was attending class. It was at that point she turned her focus to raising her two boys, in Portage, MI before relocating to Grand Rapids, MI with her husband and two children.

Throughout the years she worked as a government clerk, hair stylist, had a lengthy tenure at JCPenny and was an AVON representative. She was also a very good customer for JCPenny and AVON, which saw her give back…sometimes more than she would receive, actually most of the time. She lived by the motto it is better to give than receive. That was what made her who she was. She was truely “one of a kind,” and why she touched so many lives.

On August 3rd she celebrated 55 years of marriage to Randall L. Yager who survives. Also, surviving her are her two sons, Jason and Barb (Brown) Yager of Allendale, MI, Tanner and Nicole (Speigl) Yager, three grandchildren, Amber, Chancey, and Rand; one sister, Christie Wissner of Manistee, MI, one brother, David (Linda) Wissner of Manistee, MI and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Williard and Theresa (Zelinksi) Wissner, one sister, Mary (Wissner) Klein, and two brothers Dale Wissner and William Wissner.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Dementia Society of America or Alzheimer's Association, in her honor. The family would like to thank you for your condolences and has no immediate plans for a memorial service.

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