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Beatrice “Bea” Noble was born to Russell and Etta Lowman on the family farm near Mulberry, Indiana in July, 1929. Bea, along with her brother, James “Jim” Lowman, was raised on the farm and Bea attended high school in Mulberry, graduating in 1947. She also worked at the local drug store.
In 1947, Bea joined the United States Air Force as part of the Women’s Air Force (WAF). After attending basic training at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, Bea was sent to technical school to be a radio mechanic. She was then sent to Ellington AFB, Texas for her first operational assignment. Soon after she arrived, she had a rather rude introduction to another young radio mechanic. While waiting near the belly hatch to enter a TB-25 navigation trainer for a tour, Airman Phillip Gene “Phil” Noble emerged from the aircraft cursing and hollering over some frustration he was having with repairing the airplane’s radios. Needless to say, Phil was somewhat taken aback to find an attractive young WAF standing outside his plane!
As time went on, Phil and Bea were assigned to the same maintenance crew. Both were soon promoted to “Buck” Sergeant and became the Crew Chief and Assistant Crew Chief, respectively. Despite their somewhat rocky “introduction”, a romance gradually sparked between the two crew leaders and they were married on June 24, 1951. Late that year, Phil was sent to the war zone in Korea and Bea elected to leave the Air Force at that time.
Upon Phil’s return from Korea, Bea and Phil started building their family. " D"was born in 1953, "P" in 1954, "J"in 1957 and "S" in 1958. During this time, Phil also left the Air Force and Bea and family lived on the Lowman family farm in Indiana, while Phil tried his hand at radio repair at the Delco Plant in Kokomo, Indiana. Phil’s civilian career was short-lived however, and he reentered the Air Force Reserve at Atterbury AFB, Indiana. Phil, Bea and the family made several moves during this time including to Chanute AFB, Illinois when Phil was called to active duty, and back to Bea’s family farm as Phil was assigned overseas. In 1958, Phil and Bea moved to Lincoln AFB, Nebraska, and during Phil’s assignment there, he was selected to attend an advanced radio repair course at Keesler AFB so Bea and family spent a winter a Gulfport, Mississippi. Later his career field changed from Radio Mechanic to Missile Maintenance Technician. Bea; Phil and family lived on Lincoln AFB until 1965 as the base was nearing closure.
The whole family then moved to Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. While Bea didn’t know it at the time, the Rapid City area was to become the family home for the rest of her life. While at Ellsworth, and later in Rapid City, she raised her children through high school and beyond. She worked many years at the Base Exchange at Ellsworth and was active in a local Bunco group and Trea auxiliary.
Survivors include her husband,two sons and their spouses, two daughters and one son-in-law and one brother.
Her children went on to have children of their own and produced 5 grandchildren. Bea also became Great-Grandma to 3.
Bea spent her last years in the Golden Living Care Facility and made many friends among the staff there.
The funeral will be held at Kirk Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 10:30 am with visitation from 9 to 10:30. Interment will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery at 2 pm.
Inscription
SGT US AIR FORCE KOREA
Family Members
Parents
Russell Lowman
1899–1961
Etta J Laughner Lowman
1904–1986
Spouse
SMSGT Phillip Gene "Phil" Noble
1929–2020 (m. 1951)
