Noel J. Mickelson spent part of her life with one of America’s best-known television actors, but she had her own interests and ambitions. An artist, graphic designer, and devoted horse rider, she was John Amos’s first wife, the actor remembered for his roles in Good Times and Roots.
Their relationship began long before Amos found success in Hollywood. They married in 1965, at a time when interracial couples still faced serious legal and social problems in parts of America. Together, they welcomed two children before their marriage ended in 1975.
Away from her husband’s acting career, Noel enjoyed a life shaped by creativity, family and nature. Her later years brought heartbreaking health challenges, yet the memories shared by her children reveal a woman whose influence continued long after her death.
Quick Bio: Noel J. Mickelson
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Noel Jean Mickelson |
| Known As | Noel J. Mickelson |
| Date of Birth | 22 August 1943 (reported) |
| Birthplace | Minnesota, United States (reported) |
| Hometown | Iowa, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Danish and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry |
| Education | Colorado State University |
| Field of Study | Fine Arts |
| Profession | Artist, Graphic Designer and Equestrian |
| Famous For | Being John Amos’ first wife |
| First Husband | John Amos (American Actor) |
| Marriage Year | 1965 |
| Divorce Year | 1975 |
| Second Husband | Christopher Mahlon Wagner |
| Children | Two |
| Daughter | Shannon Amos |
| Son | Kelly Christopher (K.C.) Amos |
| Hobbies and Interests | Painting, Art, Design and Horse Riding |
| Date of Death | December 2016 |
| Age at Death | 73 Years |
Early Life and Education: Where Her Story Began
Noel J. Mickelson was reportedly born on 22 August 1943 in Minnesota and spent her childhood in Iowa. Although this date appears in several biographical accounts, detailed public records of her birth and early years are limited.
Her family had European roots, including Danish and Jewish ancestry. She spent much of her upbringing in the American Midwest, far from the entertainment industry that would later bring her name to public attention.
Little is widely known about her childhood home, school experiences, or relationships with other family members. Unlike Hollywood personalities whose lives are regularly discussed in interviews, Noel has shared relatively few public details about her early years.
What is known is that she developed a strong interest in creative work.
Art became an important part of her education, and she eventually attended Colorado State University to study fine arts. The university gave her the chance to develop her skills while meeting students with different interests and ambitions.
Among those students was John Amos.
John studied sociology and played football at the university. He hoped to make a future in professional sport, although acting would eventually become his most successful career.
Noel and John met during those university years and began dating. At that stage, there were no famous television roles or Hollywood achievements attached to his name.
They were simply two young people preparing for their futures.
Their relationship continued beyond university and eventually led to marriage. It also placed them in the middle of an important period of social change in the United States.
John Amos and Noel Mickelson: A Marriage Before His Television Success
When Noel J. Mickelson married John Amos in 1965, interracial marriage was still illegal in several American states.
Noel was white, while John was Black. Their decision to marry came during a period when interracial couples could face discrimination, criticism and legal restrictions.
Two years later, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Loving v. Virginia. The 1967 decision made state laws banning interracial marriage unconstitutional.
By then, Noel and John had already started their married life.
Their relationship began before John became a familiar face on American television. In fact, his early professional plans differed greatly from the acting career that later brought him fame.
After leaving university, the couple settled in New Jersey and worked as social workers. John continued exploring opportunities in football, but his sporting ambitions did not develop into the career he had hoped for.
He eventually turned his attention towards entertainment.
John was interested in comedy and writing, and he began looking for ways to build a career in that field. Noel understood his wish to do creative work because she had studied art herself.
Rather than following a traditional working routine, John wanted to explore opportunities that suited his interests. Noel’s own artistic background helped her understand that choice.
As his career developed, the family moved to California.
John eventually appeared in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, playing Gordy Howard. His popularity grew when he played James Evans Sr. in the television sitcom Good Times.
The programme made him widely recognised among American audiences. His later performance in the historical drama Roots added another important achievement to his acting career.
However, his marriage to Noel did not last through all these professional successes.
The couple divorced in 1975, ending approximately ten years of marriage.
Reliable public accounts have not fully explained the circumstances behind their separation. Both went on with their lives, while remaining connected through the two children they raised together.
Their marriage remains an important part of John’s personal history, particularly because it began when interracial relationships were still restricted by law in parts of the country.
Her Career in Art, Graphic Design and Horse Riding
Many in the public remember Noel J. Mickelson through her connection to John Amos. However, art and outdoor activities were important parts of her identity long before Hollywood associated her name with them.
She was known for her interest in fine arts, design and creative crafts.
Several accounts describe her as a graphic designer. Although detailed information about her clients or individual projects is not widely available, people who knew her recognised her artistic education and creative abilities.
Noel did not appear to have any strong interest in becoming a public celebrity.
While John worked in television, she continued to enjoy activities that mattered to her. One of those interests was horse riding, which became a major part of her life.
Noel was an experienced equestrian, particularly interested in long-distance riding.
Unlike casual riding, endurance riding involves travelling long distances while carefully monitoring the horse’s condition. It requires physical fitness, patience and an understanding of the animal.
Her son, K.C. Amos, has spoken about her riding abilities and involvement in endurance competitions.
Life in California gave Noel opportunities to keep up this passion.
They lived in Sylmar, an area of Los Angeles known for its more open surroundings. Their property had space for horses, allowing Noel to enjoy riding without completely leaving family life behind.
For a woman whose husband was becoming increasingly busy with television work, horses offered an interest that belonged entirely to her.
Art and riding were very different activities, but both gave Noel opportunities to express herself. One involved imagination and practical creativity, while the other brought her close to animals and the outdoors.
These interests also became familiar parts of her children’s childhood.
Her love of horses mattered especially because it stayed closely tied to her identity, even after her first marriage ended.
Although Noel never became a major public figure in the arts or sporting world, her family remembered her skills and the pleasure she found in these activities.
Raising Shannon Amos and K.C. Amos
Motherhood was another important chapter in Noel’s life.
She and John welcomed their first child, Shannon Amos, in 1966. Their second child, Kelly Christopher Amos, commonly known as K.C. Amos, was born in 1970.
Both children grew up with parents who had creative interests, although those interests took different forms.
Their father built a career in television and film, while their mother enjoyed art, design, and horse riding.
As adults, Shannon and K.C. both built careers connected to entertainment.
Shannon became involved in television production and later explored business opportunities in wellness and travel. She worked in the entertainment industry before following other professional interests.
K.C. entered filmmaking, developing experience as a director and producer. His career included work on music videos and other creative projects.
He also worked professionally with his father.
Although both children became associated with entertainment, Noel’s influence on their upbringing remained significant.
Shannon has shared memories of her mother’s independent nature and the encouragement she gave her children.
Noel believed that her children should have the freedom to explore their abilities and make their own choices. Her interests in art and outdoor life showed them how personal passions can remain important throughout adulthood.
After her divorce, Noel maintained family relationships away from the attention surrounding John’s career.
She was never as publicly visible as her former husband, but she remained an important figure in her children’s lives.
Over the years, photographs and family memories Shannon and K.C. have shared have helped people learn more about Noel as a mother, not simply as a celebrity’s former wife.
Those memories describe someone whose presence mattered deeply to the people closest to her.
Second Marriage, Health Problems and Her Final Years
After separating from John Amos, Noel J. Mickelson kept a largely private life.
She later married Christopher Mahlon Wagner, a special effects artist. The couple lived in California, where Noel remained connected to her interest in horses and outdoor surroundings.
Details about when they married are not widely documented.
For several years, Noel continued with her family life away from television publicity. However, a serious medical incident in 1996 changed her circumstances.
According to accounts shared by her daughter Shannon, Noel experienced major complications during a hysterectomy.
The complications left her blind and quadriplegic, meaning she lost movement in all four limbs.
It was a devastating change for someone who had previously enjoyed riding horses and living an active life.
Everyday activities she had once managed independently became much harder. She required considerable care and support.
Her husband Christopher helped care for her, but the family experienced another loss when he died in 2005.
Noel lived for several more years with serious physical disabilities.
Despite the difficulties she faced, she remained connected to her children, who continued to remember her as an important part of their lives.
Noel died in December 2016 at age 73.
Her death brought an end to a life that had included art, marriage, motherhood, personal independence and unexpected hardship.
Her daughter Shannon shared a particularly moving account of her later years.
Shannon recalled speaking with her mother about what she wished she had done in life. Noel regretted not travelling more widely or experiencing more of the world.
That conversation stayed with her daughter.
After Noel’s death, Shannon decided to honour her mother’s wish by taking her ashes on her travels.
Beginning in 2017, she visited different destinations with her mother’s ashes, allowing Noel’s memory to become part of those journeys.
The idea was deeply personal. It was also closely connected to the woman Noel had been before her health problems: someone who loved nature, freedom and discovering things for herself.
For Shannon, travelling became a way to celebrate her mother’s life while keeping her memory close.
Although Noel had spent most of her life outside the media spotlight, this story helped readers understand the bond she shared with her daughter.
Her children have preserved her memory through family photographs and personal reflections.
Conclusion
Noel J. Mickelson may be best known as John Amos’ first wife, but her life tells a much wider story. She was an artist with a love of horses and a strong connection to her family.
She married John during an important period in American history, and she supported him before he became a recognised television actor. After their divorce, she continued building a life away from public attention.
The health problems she faced in later years brought enormous changes, but her children continued to remember the interests, encouragement and care that had shaped their upbringing.
Today, her story lives on through those family memories, particularly Shannon’s decision to honour her mother’s wish to travel. Behind the famous Hollywood connection was a woman whose own experiences deserve to be remembered.
Also read: Ashley Aoban: The Untold Story of Her Career and Private Life
(FAQs)
Who was Noel J. Mickelson?
Noel J. Mickelson was an American artist, graphic designer and experienced horse rider. She was best known as actor John Amos’s first wife and the mother of their two children, Shannon and K.C. Amos.
How did Noel Mickelson meet John Amos?
Noel met John Amos while they were students at Colorado State University. She studied fine arts, while John studied sociology and played football. Their relationship later developed into marriage.
How long were Noel Mickelson and John Amos married?
They married in 1965 and divorced in 1975. Their marriage lasted approximately ten years, during which they welcomed two children.
What did Noel Mickelson do for a living?
Noel was known for her artistic interests and design work. She is often described as an artist and graphic designer. She was also an experienced equestrian who enjoyed long-distance horse riding.
Who was Noel Mickelson’s second husband?
After divorcing John Amos, Noel married Christopher Mahlon Wagner, a special effects artist. He helped care for her after she experienced serious medical complications in 1996. Christopher died in 2005.
When and how did Noel Mickelson die?
Noel died in December 2016 at the age of 73. She had lived with serious disabilities following medical complications in 1996. Her exact cause of death has not been clearly established in widely available public reports.
