Gretchen Margaret Noah

Gretchen’s services will be livestreamed and viewable below starting at 7:00 PM Tuesday, December 30 and 10:00 AM Wednesday, December 31:

Gretchen Margaret Noah

October 2, 1970 – December 24, 2025

Gretchen Margaret (Fevig) Noah, 55-year-old mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend, passed away on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, at her home in Fargo, ND, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Gretchen M. Fevig was born on October 2, 1970, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN, to George A. and Scheryl J. (Schmidt) Fevig. She was the youngest of three children, following her sisters Elizabeth and Kristine. She grew up in Bloomington, MN, but spent her summers at the lakes. Each year, the day after school was out, she and her sisters packed their belongings into black garbage bags and headed to the family cabin on Lake Melissa in Detroit Lakes, MN. There, Gretchen especially enjoyed swimming, fishing, water skiing, sailing, catching frogs and bugs, and making lasting summer memories with friends.

Gretchen attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Bloomington, MN, graduating in 1989. She was an excellent student, devoted friend, active in the flag corps, and honored as a Goodwill Ambassador by her teachers during her senior year. Following in her father’s footsteps, Gretchen attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where she became a proud Cobber. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Accounting and a minor in Religion, graduating in 1993. During her college years, Gretchen spent her summers working as a waitress at the Hotel Shoreham restaurant in Detroit Lakes, MN. Full of energy and always ready for fun, she often kicked off karaoke nights at the Hotel with a spirited rendition of “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” It was there that she eventually met her husband, Mark T. Noah, and they were married in 1994.

Following college, Gretchen and Mark moved to Minneapolis, MN, where she worked as a CPA for Ernst and Young LLP. In 1995, they relocated to Fargo, ND, where she continued her career as a CPA with Charles Bailly and Co. (now Eide Bailly LLP). In 1997, Gretchen and Mark purchased a 100-year-old home on 8th Street in Moorhead, MN, near the Concordia College campus, and together founded Noah Coffee Co., a successful coffeehouse they owned and operated. They lived in the upstairs apartment while starting their family. The coffeehouse quickly became a Moorhead staple, a place where the community gathered to enjoy good company and great coffee. Many days were filled with the bustle of running the coffeehouse, which occasionally hosted events, live music, and showcased local artists. All the while, Gretchen lovingly cared for her first three children. With baby Mary on her hip, she looked after Maggie and Kelly as they snuck cookies from the coffeehouse displays and got into their usual mischief.

In 2002, Gretchen and Mark sold Noah Coffee Co. and moved to Fargo, ND. Soon after, they welcomed their fourth child, Markie. In 2004, Gretchen opened Noah’s Creative Kids Daycare in her home, where she tenderly cared for many children, in addition to her own, and taught them a preschool reading program. She filled each day with learning and fun, from shaving cream on the counters and making pickle-scented playdough to endless trips to local playgrounds, setting up bouncy castles inside the house, and caring for the various exotic pets her children talked her into. Gretchen and Mark welcomed their fifth and final child, Katie, in 2005. These years were when Gretchen forged some of her deepest friendships and achieved a long-held goal of staying home with her young family.

Shortly after Markie’s birth, Gretchen and Mark noticed he was different. He struggled to sit, crawl, or communicate like other children, and early medical visits raised concerns. From the very beginning, Gretchen carefully documented his milestones and challenges. Through her unwavering devotion, diligent record-keeping, relentless research online, and connection with another family affected by Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS), she secured a confirmed diagnosis for Markie, allowing him to get the care and therapies he needed.

Markie’s diagnosis cemented in Gretchen a lifelong passion for and service to individuals and families affected by SLOS. Beginning in 2006, she hosted annual fundraisers in support of the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation, a national nonprofit organization supporting families and medical professionals worldwide to improve the quality of life for individuals with SLOS. Her fundraising efforts raised well over half a million dollars and included balloon walks through Lindenwood Park, mite hockey jamborees, a Fargo Force hockey donation night, restaurant night fundraisers, a golf tournament, and participation in Dakota Medical Foundation’s Giving Hearts Day.

Beginning in 2011, Gretchen assumed active leadership roles within the Foundation, serving as President, Executive Director, Treasurer, and a member of the Board of Directors. Over the years, she guided the Foundation’s growth, managed its finances, and fueled her passion for fundraising by pursuing grants and, more recently, establishing twenty endowments, securing the Foundation’s long-term sustainability.

She worked closely with and served as liaison to the Foundation’s Medical & Scientific Advisory Board and external partners, helping to award grants to advance SLOS research and organize several biennial scientific and family medical conferences. Gretchen dedicated countless hours to supporting families, whether currently navigating SLOS or coping with loss, through personal conversations, shared resources, and meaningful connections. She was deeply committed to building a strong and functional Foundation website, which she later oversaw being updated and made translatable into 105 languages, expanding its reach to serve a more diverse, global population. Her deep care for international families navigating the challenges of a SLOS diagnosis took her across the world, where she met with SLOS groups in Germany and Sweden.

To further strengthen her service, Gretchen returned to school and graduated from the University of Jamestown in 2023 with a Master of Leadership, focusing on nonprofit leadership. Through her tireless advocacy, work, and leadership, many witnessed the Foundation flourish through her.

Gretchen closed her home daycare in 2009 to focus on her next goals: ensuring her children had access to a Catholic education through the St. John Paul II Catholic Schools Network and the opportunity to pursue higher education. In 2010, she started Fargo Sports Photography, taking soccer portraits for a local soccer club to help support her family. In 2012, Gretchen and Mark opened their home to more than a dozen foster and respite children, providing each one with a safe, loving, and supportive environment. After closing her daycare, she joined Concordia College in Advancement Services as a gift accountant and, beginning in 2014, served as Associate Director of Donor Relations and Advancement Services. In this role, she helped care for endowed funds, built meaningful relationships with donors, coordinated events, and shared her deep love of Concordia with all who knew her, including her children, all five of whom are proud Cobbers. Over the years, they enjoyed visiting her office, grabbing lunch together on Fridays, and attending traditions such as Homecoming, Concordia Christmas concerts, and Cobber Ring Days.

In 2022, Gretchen also served as a staff accountant for the Moorhead Legacy Education Foundation, a local nonprofit providing scholarships to Moorhead High School students and grants to faculty and staff, helping to grow and support their operations.

Gretchen was an active and devoted member of Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church in Fargo, ND. She was also a dedicated member of P.E.O., holding several officer positions over the years in an organization that celebrates and supports women through education and philanthropy. In 2014, Gretchen and Mark purchased their own lake cabin on Lake Melissa, just a short walk down from the family cabin she grew up going to. In more recent years, she found great joy serving as a beach captain on Fern Beach alongside her daughter, Kelly. She loved taking walks with her close friends, going on adventures to Menards with her one-year-old goldendoodle, Finnegan, tackling home improvement projects, finding creative ways to use her self-taught photography, watching movies late at night while working for her foundations, and spending treasured time with her family and close friends at the lakes. Above all, she cherished loving, supporting, and being fully present for her five children in every possible way.

Gretchen is survived by her husband, Mark T. Noah, of Fargo, ND; their four daughters and one son, Margaret K. Noah, Kelly K. Noah, Mary E. Noah, Mark C. Noah, and Katherine K. Noah; her mother, Scheryl J. Fevig; her sisters, Elizabeth A. Olson and Kristine F. (Pat) Christensen; her beloved nieces, nephews, and godchildren; and many other dear relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, George A. Fevig; her brother-in-law, Todd A. Olson; and her parents-in-law, John M. and Mary T. Noah.

The visitation will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 30, followed by a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo, ND. On Wednesday, December 31, visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 10:00 a.m. at Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church in Fargo, ND.

Memorial contributions preferred to the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation, specifically designated for the Mark C. Noah Endowed Fund for Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome.

Arrangements by Boulger Funeral Home & Celebration of Life Center in Fargo, ND.

Soli Deo Gloria

Funeral Mass Live Stream:
https://youtube.com/live/ECkMlfe8_RQ?feature=share

Prayer Service live stream will appear below: