Mini Bios of People of Scots Descent
William I. Noble Biogrpahy

WILLIAM I. NOBLE, who is successfully established in the real-estate and loan business at Clear Lake, and is one of the representative citizens of Deuel county, was born in the beautiful little city of St. Thomas, province of Ontario, Canada, on the 1st of March, 1865, and is a son of Elnathan and Mary (McBride) Noble, both of whom were likewise born and reared in Ontario, while the latter met her death in a railway accident at St. Thomas, in 1884. The father of the subject was born near St. Thomas and was there identified with the great basic art of agriculture until 1886, when he came to Clear Lake, South Dakota, where his death occurred in 1888, his remains being laid to rest beside those of his loved and devoted wife, at St. Thomas, Ontario. Isband Noble, the grandfather of the subject, emigrated when a young man from Massachusetts to Canada, in company with the other members of the family, which was early established in New England and which was loyal to the British crown at the time of the Revolution, the lineage being traced back to Scotch derivation. The mother of the subject was a daughter of Malcolm and Catherine (Campbell) McBride, who emigrated to Canada in early days from Campbellford, Argyleshire, Scotland, settling nine miles south of London, Ontario in Middlesex county, where they passed the residue of their days. 

William I. Noble received his early educational discipline in the public schools of Elgin county, Ontario, and then attended the collegiate institute in St. Thomas, where he completed the classical course and then took up the matriculation work of the University of Toronto, where he gave his attention to different courses, making a speciality of mathematics. After the completion of his university work he decided to come to South Dakota, the principal reason for taking this action being that his health had become somewhat impaired. He came to this state in March, 1886, and located in Deuel county, where he gave his attention to farming for the first four years, and thus fully recuperated his physical energies. Thereafter he served two years as deputy county treasurer, and since that time has been engaged in the real-estate and loan business in Clear Lake, having a wide circle of loyal friends in this section of the state and being known as a progressive young business man. 

In politics Mr. Noble maintains an independent attitude, and his fraternal relations are here noted in somewhat of detail: Phoenix Lodge, No. 129, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Clear Lake; Watertown Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Clear Lake Lodge, No. 97, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and its auxiliary, Hiawath Lodge, No. 83, Degree of Honor; charter member of Clear Lake Lodge, No. 144, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past noble grand; Encampment No. 14, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Watertown; charter member of the Patriarchs Militant, No. 1, at Gary; and New Century Lodge, No. 81, Daughters of Rebekah. 

On the 16th of February, 1886, Mr. Noble was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Cook, of St. Thomas, Ontario, who died on the 20th of December, 1897, of pulmonary tuberculosis, being survived by one son, Roy, who is eleven years of age at the time of this writing, in 1904. She was a daughter of Ebenezer and Mary Cook, of Springfield, Ontario. On the 26th of July, 1899, Mr. Noble married Miss Etta M. Liscomb, daughter of I. P. Liscomb, a prominent citizen of Clear Lake, and of this union has been born one son, Perry, who is now three years of age.