When a Dream Waits 70 Years: Noreen’s Story

For most of her life, Noreen’s work happened quietly, behind the scenes.

In the 1940s, she studied theology at Prairie Bible Institute alongside her husband. She was nearly finished her program, just a handful of courses away, when life asked her to choose another path. With a young family and limited resources, she stepped back from her studies so her husband could continue. He went on to become widely known for his leadership and influence in Christian ministry, serving on many boards.

Noreen carried on faithfully. She opened her home, welcomed people in, led women’s ministries, hosted missionaries, nurtured faith, and shared her wisdom with countless others across the decades. 

It wasn't loud or bitter, and it was not regret. It was simply something unfinished, an ache she carried over seventy years. Only later did her family come to understand how much that unfinished dream still mattered.

A chance friendship with Ruth Maxwell, the granddaughter of Prairie College's founder, helped reconnect Noreen with the college. Well into her 90s, she was invited back into a story she once believed had ended.

Prairie College, the place where Noreen began all those years ago, recently came to Hallmark on the Park to recognize her with an honorary degree. The moment celebrated not only her academic studies, but also the decades of ministry, hospitality, and faithful service that have shaped her life and influence.

When the diploma was placed in her hands, she cried. They were joy filled tears, the kind that come when a long, invisible ache finally finds healing. This moment mattered deeply.  

Too often, aging is framed as a season of looking back, as though the story has already been told.

For Noreen, this was not a return to the past. She received the gift of a new experience, a celebration and a ceremony that now fully belong in her present story, one that continues to shape the lives those around her.

Several women at the celebration shared how this moment honours women more broadly. Team members and chaplains spoke with gratitude on how Noreen's life inspires them in their own work and service.

To honour Noreen's legacy, her family and friends are establishing the Noreen Reimer City Gates Award, investing in women in their final year of studies as they move forward into opportunity, leadership, and calling.

Noreen's story reminds us of what we can easily forget:

Dreams don't have a time limit. And new chapters are still possible.