Nilles, Thomas Alan 1967-2002

NILLES, SAMS, BOYER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 4/18/2009 at 18:34:40

LE MARS, Iowa -- Thomas Alan Nilles, 35, of Le Mars passed away Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002 at his home in Le Mars.

Services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Le Mars, with the Rev. Andrew Hoffmann officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Remsen, Iowa. Visitation will begin 2 p.m. today, with the family present 5 to 8 p.m., and a Scriptural prayer service at 7 p.m., all at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars. Visitation will continue 9 a.m. until service time Thursday at the funeral home.

Thomas Alan Nilles was born Jan. 19, 1967 at Le Mars, to Thomas and Clara (Sams) Nilles. He attended school in Le Mars and graduated from Le Mars Community High School in 1985. Tom enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard on Jan. 3, 1985. He completed his basic training as an infantryman at Fort Benning, Ga. and returned to Company A of the 2nd Battalion, 133rd Mechanized Infantry in Le Mars and later Troop C, 1st Squadron of the 113th Calvary as a scout squad leader. He attained the rank of staff sergeant. In 1988 Tom was employed with Tyson Foods in Orange City, Iowa.

He married Debra Boyer on Sept. 6, 1991 at Hudson, S.D. The couple moved to Orange City in 1991 and lived there until 1993, when they moved to Hawarden, Iowa. Tom began computer programming courses at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City in 1998 and received his degree in the fall of 1999. Tom and his family moved to Le Mars in April of this year. He was currently employed with Wells Dairy in Le Mars.

Tom enjoyed throwing darts and playing cards. He was an avid Washington Redskins fan. Most of all, he enjoyed camping and fishing with his wife and children. Tom lives on through the gift of life -- organ transplants as well as through memories.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Debra, and his children, Kyle, Aaron, Kelsey and Zachary of Le Mars; his parents, Clara and Ronald Hunter of Le Mars; a brother, Stacy Nilles of Cherokee; two sisters, Amy Krogman and her husband, Chris, of Le Mars and Danielle Hunter of Land O' Lakes, Fla.; his maternal grandmother, Rose Sams of Omaha, Neb.; two stepgrandmothers, Mildred Hunter and Juanita Sams, both of Le Mars; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas; paternal grandparents, Ted and Julia Nilles; maternal grandfather, Everett Sams; and stepgrandfather, Ralph Hunter.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal, part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection