html CHAREST, Noella b. 15 Dec 1927 Woonsocket, Rhode Island d. 4 Nov 2017 Hollywood, Florida: Charest Family History
CHAREST, Noella

CHAREST, Noella

Female 1927 - 2017  (89 years)

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name CHAREST, Noella 
    • Family story from Pauline (Charest (Watson)):

      At one of the Hairdressers Convention in Providence, Noella took me as her guest. I was about 16, 17 years old and she had to demonstrate on stage how to wash hair, cut hair, put rollers on and style. The winner of this competition would be included in the Hairdressers Magazine and won a beautiful trophy.

      This was the time when Liberace was famous and so she contacted his manager to get permission to call her creation the "Liberace Haircut" and with permission granted she started practicing on her favorite customer (one of the Fournier Funeral Parlor girls across the street from Mrs Forcier's Beauty Salon on Cumberland Street in Woonsocket.) Her model was tall, blonde and, of course, very beautiful.

      Aunt Noella was a real professional and her Liberace Hairstyle won first prize at the National Hairdressers Convention at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence.

      Editor's Note: Noella's sister Rita was a big fan of Liberace and once spent an afternoon meeting and talking with him.
    Born 15 Dec 1927  Woonsocket, Rhode Island Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Female 
    Graduation Noella graduated with a license as hairdresser from Dr. Alice N. Finan School in Providence, Rhode Island. The money was provided by her father, and brother Armand. Armand was in the Army, fighting in the south pacific, and had been saving his army pay to purchase a car when he returned home. When he found out his sister Noella needed money to go to school, Armand gave her the money from his savings. Noella never forgot what Armad did for her, and would talk about it the rest of her life.  
    Died 4 Nov 2017  Hollywood, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Cremated 17 Nov 2017  Saint Jean-Baptiste Catholic Cemetery, Bellingham, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I10  Charest Genealogy
    Last Modified 5 Nov 2022 

    Father CHAREST, Ildephonse,   b. 19 Mar 1891, Upton, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 20 Jan 1945, Woonsocket, Rhode Island Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 53 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother FRECHETTE, Emelie,   b. 22 Nov 1889, St. Didace, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 3 Jun 1957, Woonsocket, Rhode Island Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 67 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Married 4 Oct 1916  Joliette, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Documents
    Genealogy of the Charest Family
    Genealogy of the Charest Family
    A detailed genealogy of the Charest family, as researched by Roger Forbes. Much of his source information comes from French-language documents maintained at the French-American Association, Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
    Summary of Deceased Family Members
    Summary of Deceased Family Members
    A summary of birth and death dates of members of the extended Charest family, descendents of Ildephonse Charest and Emily Frenchette. This document was developed as a collaboration between Roger Forbes and Pauline (Hurteau) Watson. As Pauline wrote:
    "This is a project that was undertaken because one of my nephews wanted to know when some of our relatives passed away. I thought it was a very important and necessary project to do and Roger offered to help locate some of the dates. This project was very hard to do and brought back many, many memories. It was done with lots of love and many tears."
    This document should be considered a primary source reference for the dates shown.
    Wedding Announcement of Ildephonse Charest
    Wedding Announcement of Ildephonse Charest
    A French-language newspaper clipping announcing the marriage of Ildephonse Charest. This appears to have been published some time after the actual wedding, as the wedding was in Joliette, Canada, and this article appears to be written in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Machine translation summary:
    --------------

    Headline: Sixty-nine at the wedding supper at Mr. Charest's house

    Article Summary: A large automobile procession took place. Sixty-nine people attended the celebration at Mr. Athanase Charest's home on Nash Road, not counting children. Mr. Ildefonse Charest, married in Joliette, immediately left for New Bedford, while his brother Armandius was married the next day. They will travel to Fall River, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Brockton, Taunton, New Bedford, Joliette, and Quebec. Mr. and Mrs. Armandius Charest will return to Brockton, and Mr. and Mrs. Ildefonse Charest will live in Quebec.

    Gift List: A list of gifts offered to Mr. and Mrs. Ildefonse Charest and Mr. and Mrs. Armandius Charest is provided, including clocks, linens, silverware, and various household items from numerous donors. A separate list of gifts for Mr. and Mrs. Ildefonse Charest is also included.
    Letter From Ildephonse Charest to Emelie Frechette
    Letter From Ildephonse Charest to Emelie Frechette
    This image is a photograph of a handwritten letter in French from Ildephonse (Alphonse) Charest to his future wife Emelie Frechette. This letter date only includes a month and day, but as they were married 4 Oct 1916 the year of this letter is probably 1916. A line in this letter appears to indicate they were setting their wedding date.

    Note 1: The closing line of
    - St-Remi [de] Tingwick -
    Probably refers to Saint-Remi-de-Tingwick, which is a municipality located in the Centre-du-Qubec region of Quebec, Canada. This may have been Ildephonse's location when writing this letter.

    Machine (AI) Translation

    Page 1
    Quebec July 29
    To Mademoiselle Emelie Frechette
    Miss and Dear [?]
    A few words to give you news of me which are very good thank God thank you.
    And at the same time
    I must ask you for forgiveness for all the faults that I have committed by not having been faithful to my promises.

    Page 2
    But you know, you know that I have a good heart and I admit every day I already have a few mayors in my heart
    Every time I fancifully, I tell myself that I must write us back and you, sincerely, give me the gift, and if you give me the gift, I want to become married. Even though I love him, he is still very much in love even though we are not married
    It is time to do what we should have done instead of this. I have said
    In Borbes, a gray figure that mo

    Page 3
    ...must that you are still faithful and he must come to your house to give you my news.

    I am the second cook on the St. Ireneo and I have a salary of $50.00 a month. I should have enough to get married as soon as I finish my time at sea.

    But as I told you, if you want, you will be my wife.
    I promise you, because God will not allow me to forget you; I must do his will.

    Page 4
    aussistat that I have finished, be sure, be and cheese from October or at November, serve, I have a fork. Fork goes to Bedford, it has and returned to Grand Cere. I have a big commitment for the winter while the guarded one, solve the problem, I want you to receive from your news soon what I gave you, I regret to you, the washhouse will remain if you and farsee flous nois fable what yours

    Page 5
    Keep the [money/envelope] sent for the month as you would like.
    I believe that is all for tonight from your friend.
    I hope so, Alphonse Charest.
    Cuisinier [Cook], St-Remi [de] Tingwick, Louise Richer [?], Quebec.
    Photos
    The Charest Family, Descendants of Ildephonse and Emilie (Frenchette) Charest
    The Charest Family, Descendants of Ildephonse and Emilie (Frenchette) Charest
    A family photograph of all nine children of Ildephonse and Emilie (Frenchette) Charest. Taken during a family reunion in the early 1980s. This was the last time all nine children were together, as Margaret would pass several years later.

    From Left to right, top row:
    Rita, Noella, George, Lucille, Margaret

    Second Row:
    Clair, Joe, Armand, Theresa
    Ildephonse Charest and Emilie Frechette
    Ildephonse Charest and Emilie Frechette
    Ildephonse Charest and Emilie Frechette, unknown year taken. Possibly another photo taken on their wedding day.
    Wedding Photo of Claire Charest and Leo Forand
    Wedding Photo of Claire Charest and Leo Forand
    Wedding photo of the Charest family at the wedding of Claire Charest and Leo Forand. From left to right:
    Louis George Charest, __, __, __, __, __, __, __ .
    Family ID F1  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 PAPAGNO, George,   b. 19 Mar 1919, Woonsocket, Rhode Island Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Apr 2020, Pembroke Pines, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 101 years) 
    Photos
    The Papagno Family
    The Papagno Family
    Noella, George Papagno, and daughter Jane. Believed to be a wedding protrait of George and Noella's wedding.
    George and Noella Papagno
    George and Noella Papagno
    During their retirement years in Hollywood, Florida
    Noella and George Papagno with their Son James
    Noella and George Papagno with their Son James
    Noella and George Papagno with their Son James
    Last Modified 26 Feb 2016 
    Family ID F14  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 UNKNOWN, Unknown 
    Children 
    +1. PAPAGNO, Jane
     2. PAPAGNO, James
    Last Modified 2 Jul 2021 
    Family ID F68  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Documents
    Funeral Memorial Card for Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Funeral Memorial Card for Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Funeral Memorial Card for Noella (Papagno) Charest

    Headstones
    Funeral Urn of Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Funeral Urn of Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella died in Hollywood Florida where she lived for the last 45 years of her life, but she chose to be buried in the Charest family burial plot in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. She was cremated in Florida, and her ashes sent to Rhode Island where a memorial service was held, prior to her ashes interred in the family plot.

    Photos
    Armand Charest and Noella (Charest) Papangoes
    Armand Charest and Noella (Charest) Papangoes
    Armand Charest and his sister Noella. Noella was a hair dresser who was able to earn her license in the early 1940s because of Armand. While Armand was in the Army he was sending his pay home into a saving account. Noella mentioned to Armand she wanted to become a hairdresser but didn't have the money to attend the school. Armand told her to use his Army money for her school and license. Noella never forgot his kindness and spoke of it often to Armand's children. This photo would have been taken sometime around the later half of the 1990s.
    The Charest Family, Descendants of Ildephonse and Emilie (Frenchette) Charest
    The Charest Family, Descendants of Ildephonse and Emilie (Frenchette) Charest
    A family photograph of all nine children of Ildephonse and Emilie (Frenchette) Charest. Taken during a family reunion in the early 1980s. This was the last time all nine children were together, as Margaret would pass several years later.

    From Left to right, top row:
    Rita, Noella, George, Lucille, Margaret

    Second Row:
    Clair, Joe, Armand, Theresa
    Lucille and Noella
    Lucille and Noella
    Lucille and Noella, photograph taken in the late 1970s, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
    Noella (Papagno) Charest and Grandson Joseph Navarro
    Noella (Papagno) Charest and Grandson Joseph Navarro
    Noella (Papagno) Charest and Grandson Joseph Navarro, taken in Hollywood, Florida.
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Making family Christmas Tree decorations
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella hanging her homemade Christmas decorations on her tree. Noella made Christmas decorations with tiny photos of her family members as Christmas gifts.
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella (Papagno) Charest
    Noella making Christmas tree decorations. She would make ornaments with the faces of family members on them, and give these away to her extended family.
    Book Cover: Written and published by Noella Papagno
    Book Cover: Written and published by Noella Papagno
    Cover of the book: "Desairology: The Dressing of Decedents Hair." Written by Noella Papagno-Charest, she pioneered the field of Desairology. Noella's brother Armand helped her edit this book prior to publication.
    Noella and George Papagno with their Son James
    Noella and George Papagno with their Son James
    Noella and George Papagno with their Son James
    Group Wedding Photo Armand and Martha (Wilkens) Charest
    Group Wedding Photo Armand and Martha (Wilkens) Charest
    A group wedding photo of Armand and Martha (Wilkens) Charest with all their weeding party.
    From Left to Right
    Back Row: Jim McCarthy (Best Man), Victoria (---) Fenton, Eddie Behr, Martha (Wilkens) Charest, Armand Charest, "Suzie", George Charest
    Front Row: Noella Charest, Pauline (Watson) Hurteau

    Victoria ("Vicky") was one of Martha's close friends. Vicky and her husband Ray Fenton (married about one year after this wedding) become Godparents to Armand and Martha's oldest son Ronald.

    Jim McCarthy was Armand's best friend at time of Armand's marriage. Jim and Armand were sharing an apartment in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City, at the time Armand became engaged to Martha. Jim and Armand remained friends their entire lives, and Armand was with Jim when Jim passed in the late 1980s.

    Eddie Behr was another of Armand's close friends.

    "Suzie" was a close friend of Martha, no last name available.

    Videos
    Desairology_ Hair Care for the Deceased
    Desairology_ Hair Care for the Deceased
    Noella trained as a cosmologist and later pioneered the field of "Desairology:" the practice of arranging the hair for the deceased prior to viewing by families and loved ones. Noella wrote a book on this topic, and later developed a training program which offered continuing education credits. This video is a professionally-produced video of Noella explaining the field of Desairology.

    This video currently resides on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ck1PEvh5UM
    Promotional Video for Desairology
    Promotional Video for Desairology
    Noella (Papagno) Charest pioneered the cosmology field of Desairology, the field of dressing hair for the deceased. She published a book and developed training materials for continuing education credits. This was one of the last videos Noella produced promoting her programs.

    This video resides on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0H39kUVSqY

  • Sources 
    1. [S2] Security Questionnaire, US Military Document, 2 (Reliability: 3).