Colette Rose Nolen

MADISON - Colette Rose Nolen, age 89, of Madison, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010, at UW Hospital. She lived in her hometown of Kenosha for 86 years before moving to Madison in 2007. Colette Rose Dagenbach was born to Julius and Anna Dagenbach on Sept. 20, 1921.She attended St. George's Catholic School and graduated from Kenosha High School. Colette married Harry (Naekrsz) Nolen on May 22, 1948. Together they built a home where the raised their four children. Harry and Colette loved to go camping. Family trips to state campgrounds were happy times instilling a love for nature in their children and creating many cherished memories. In later years they enjoyed traveling together to square dance conventions in their RV. Colette served as a Girl Scout leader when her children were young and was always an involved volunteer. She was employed at Snap-On Tools during World War II and later by pediatricians Welch, Davis and Wilson, and as Carthage College Bookstore secretary, from which she retired in 1986. Colette escaped Wisconsin winters for more than 20 years becoming a proud "Winter Texan" at Pharr Texas' Tropic Star RV Park where she volunteered for a Mexican border town orphanage. She made many Texas friends while playing pool, bridge, pinochle, and cribbage, country line dancing, and swimming. When she moved to Madison to be near her daughter in 2007, she became a St. Bernard Catholic Church member, and her Bridge, Scrabble, Mah Jong, Schafkopf (Sheepshead) and Euchre passion continued four days a week right to the end of her life at Madison, Monona, and Wil-Mar senior centers. She was especially proud of winning the 2010 Wisconsin Senior Games gold medal in bridge. Colette's bright star light never dimmed. Her strength, kindness, patience and openness along with her beautiful smile remind us how privileged we are to have had her as a loving mother, grandmother and loyal friend. "Make new friends but keep the old" was Colette's motto. A lifelong learner, she enjoyed meeting and spending time with people in every phase of her life. To her, friendships were golden. Among her many interests were genealogy research, studying whole foods and herbal medicines, gardening, and reading. Colette is survived by her daughter, Cynthia (Paul Abramson) Nolen of Madison; son, Dr. Thomas (Michelle) Nolen of Centralia, Ill.; son, Larry (Lynn) Nolen of San Diego, Calif.; daughter, Sue Nolen of Kansas City, MO; and grandchildren, Benjamin, Andrea (RJ Richardson), Craig and Julia Nolen; sisters, Rita Irving of Friendship and Joanne Regis of Kenosha. She also leaves behind many granddogs and grandcats. Colette was preceded in death by her parents, Julius and Anna (Thilges) Dagenbach; husband, Harry; sister, Lorraine Rheinschmidt; and brother, Paul Dagenbach. A celebration of life will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, with Monsignor Michael Hippee presiding.A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Kenosha at 10 a.m., on Monday, Dec. 27, 2010. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. Please make contributions in Colette's name to your favorite charity. A special thank you to Dr. Monica Vohmann of GHC, Madison, for her loving care. The family deeply appreciates daughter, Sue Nolen, and friends Donna Boucher, Sue Mills, Diana Dobbs and Gloria Peterson for their unselfish assistance and support. Thanks to the tireless loving care provided by her oldest daughter, Cynthia and her husband Paul, Colette's later years were very rich. "She isn't gone, she is just playing cards in heaven." Memorials: Please make contributions in Colette's name to your favorite charity. Service: A celebration of life will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, with Monsignor Michael Hippee presiding. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Kenosha at 10 a.m., on Monday, Dec. 27, 2010. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at the church.