Michelle Irene Nilles
June 8, 1968 ~ January 15, 2014
Michelle Irene Nilles, 45, of Cedar Rapids, died on Wednesday, January 15, 2014, at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids, by Rev. Christopher Podhajksy. Visitation: 5-8 p.m. on Monday at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids, with a rosary at 7:45 p.m. Burial: Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Cedar Rapids. Survivors include her husband, Doug; her children, Jordan Nilles Adams and LaResa Michelle Nilles; sister, Erin Byrne; granddaughter, Krachelle; many aunts, uncles, and cousins; her golden retriever, Prince and her mother, Barbara Tokhiem; Michelle was born June 8, 1968, in Cedar Rapids, the daughter of Michael Byrne and Barbara Wilson. On June 17, 1995, she married Doug Nilles in Cedar Rapids. Michelle worked as the greatest mom for her kids and was proud to be Irish. She enjoyed reading, music, cooking, fishing, traveling and Bible study. Michelle was the former owner of Antiques & Old Things. She was preceded in death by her father, Michael; and grandmother, Mildred Byrne. Memorial are suggested to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
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My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Erin, my thoughts & prayers are with you at this difficult time. My sister passed in August 2013, very hard when a sibling passes. May you find comfort with all the wonderful memories shared with her. (((((HUGS)))))
Erin, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Erin and family, I am so sorry and am sending many condolences. May God bless all of you and hold you near. Love to all.
My condolences to you. My prayers are with your family in this time of sorrow, healing.
Erin…I am so sorry for your loss of your beloved sister. Remember that you have an angel watching you and know that she will always be in your heart. Take care.
Michelle was a caring, loving, gentle person. I wish that she would have been able to see how much she was loved and cared about. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family. I hope you can find a little peace and comfort in knowing that you are not alone with your pain. May God be with her soul and with you during your time of deep sorrow.
my mother sacrificed every single day for my father my sister and myself…there’s never been a moment in my life when I didn’t have her supporting me no matter what trouble I caused or was in.. so I will spend my days supporting my daughter in the ways mom showed me
Michelle
There are so many wonderful things I could say about Michelle. But what I remember the most is that she loved more than anyone I have ever met. She loved me and her children and her entire family.
She could talk to anyone. She had friends of all ages, all races and all walks of life. She did not care who your were or where you came from if you were a good person. That is what I loved the most about her and I tried to be like her, but she did it much better than me.
Her heart was too big for this evil world.
So sorry to hear about Michelle. What I remember about her was her great sense of humor for she made me laugh many times through out the years, even during difficult times. I pray that she has found peace and she is now free. I also pray for her family for I am so sorry for their loss.
The Beatles once sang “…in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make”. I wish Michelle to find peace in the love for her of those left behind.
There’s so much people can say about my mom, they can say she was funny, sweet, fun loving, kind, hot headed, impulsive, ect. My mother was intense,and when she loves you, she loves with her whole heart. She was a real person, she did good things and bad things, but at the end of every day her family knew she loved them, and that’s what mattered most to her.
I love my mom so much, and its so hard to imagine a world without her in it. It doesn’t seem real or right to plan my future without my mom there. My mom did whatever she thought was right for me, and even if she was way off the mark, she would do it out of love.
I love my mom, present tense, because even though she’s left this world the love people felt for her still remains. It lives on the in memories of the peoples lives who she’s touched, and her legacy lives through her husband, children, family and friends.
One of Our Songs
Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she moves me
I don’t want to leave her now
You know I believe and how
Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don’t need no other lover
Frank Sinatra said this was the greatest love song ever written and I always played it for Michelle
Something in her style that shows me
I don’t want to leave her now
You know I believe and how
You’re asking me will my love grow
I don’t know, I don’t know
You stick around now it may show
I don’t know, I don’t know
Something in the way she knows
And all I have to do is think of her
Something in the things she shows me
I don’t want to leave her now
You know I believe and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UKAp-jRUp2o
Doug, I was sorry to hear about Michelle. My condolences are with you.
Michelle was a good friend to Marcy and I when we lived in Cedar Rapids. She and Doug have stayed in touch since we moved to San Diego. I really loved hearing her talk about she and Doug’s adventures in the antique business and it was clear how much they both loved. She was a very loving Mother and wife and I know she will be missed greatly.
Dan, Marcy, and Siera Hyte
Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Time can bring you down,
Time can bend your knees,
Time can have begging please,
Begging please, but I know beyond the door there are no more tears in heaven
although i havent gotten much of a chance to see michelle lately, she was around quite a bit in my life growing up. She will be missed. <3
May you rest in peace.
Michelle, you are so loved and will be forever missed. Peace to you.
She was so smart, and had an amazing sense of humor. Days at Kirkwood were so much more fun with her around. When my dad died she was the first to give me a big hug, and listen to my sadness. I know we will see her again healthy and strong on the other side. Your hearts will be heavy for just awhile, but they will gradually get stronger, and her spirit will be close to help you through.
Doug
Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your kids at this sad time. Michelle will be missed by all.
Michelle The Teacher
I have heard stupid people say that MICHELLE married me for money or that I married her for her looks but they do not know what love is. Everything I KNOW that matters I learned from Michelle.
She taught me to be a husband and a father. I will try to live up to the way she wanted for the rest of my life, even though I will not have her guidance.
I will miss her every day, but I am very lucky to have known her these last 24 years. She gave me great joy that out weighed any of the difficulties.
I only wish I could have done the same for her.
Doug
I was so sorry to read of Michelle’s passing at such a young age. I moved back to CR in 2008 and was always going to call to meet another Nilles. I graduated in 1954 from IC and Byrnes was a familiar name there. My sympathy on your loss of a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister…
It was with great appreciation that you, Doug, Jordan, LaResa and Erin spoke with me at the visitation. It surprised me that she remembered me. I certainly remembered her clearly. It’s that kind of expression that makes you think that if only I didn’t have to retire. I would have tried to help, but it seems that some outcomes may not change. I pray that she is resting in peace and that you all can deal with this with your faith in God. I have had to do that since Dr. Arthur passed away last year. We shall never forget her.
I want to thank everyone that came to the services, sent flowers, sent emails, sent cards, sent donations, brought us food, offered their condolences by stopping by our house or shoveled our snow. I know a lot of people could not attend the services, but that is ok. Jordan, LaResa and I are all very grateful for the love and support you all have shown us.
Thank you all,
Doug
Mom.. I did it. Nolan William Byrne has a father who will raise him as you and dad did LaResa and I. Krachelle has a father who she can depend on and confide in. And Abbriella will have a father who dad showed how to raise a daughter. … you were so very wrong about one thing mom- you said my girls would be gods payback for all I put you through… NOPE HOS NAMES NOLAN and he’s my duplicate down to the crooked teeth on the bottom. Dad if u see this 3199819858