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Esther Louise Niles Donnelly

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Esther Louise Niles Donnelly

Birth	:	11 Dec 1934 Powder River County, Montana, USA
Death	:	17 Jul 2015 Miles City, Custer County, Montana, USA
Burial	:	Calvary Cemetery, Miles City, Custer County, USA
Coordinate	:	46.3816986, -105.8249969
Description	:	SOURCE: Death Certificate: '''''''''''''''''''' Source: Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home Esther Louise Donnelly, of Miles City, passed away peacefully the morning of July 17, 2015 at the age of 80. Louise, as her family and friends knew her, began life as Esther Louise Niles on December 11, 1934. Born on the Niles family ranch, near O'Neill on the Powder River between Miles City and Ekalaka, she was the youngest of five children born to Esther and Charles Niles. She was raised on the family ranch until 1940, when the family moved to Tacoma, Washington,... Read More	SOURCE: Death Certificate: '''''''''''''''''''' Source: Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home Esther Louise Donnelly, of Miles City, passed away peacefully the morning of July 17, 2015 at the age of 80. Louise, as her family and friends knew her, began life as Esther Louise Niles on December 11, 1934. Born on the Niles family ranch, near O'Neill on the Powder River between Miles City and Ekalaka, she was the youngest of five children born to Esther and Charles Niles. She was raised on the family ranch until 1940, when the family moved to Tacoma, Washington, where her father and oldest brother worked in the shipyards in support of the Allied war effort in World War II. At the war's end in 1945, the family returned to the ranch, where Louise continued her education at Trail Creek School. She then attended Custer County District High School in Miles City, living in an apartment with her older sisters while her parents continued to live at the ranch, 47 miles outside of town. During this time, she also developed a lifelong friendship with fellow CCDHS student Pat Donnelly, who, as it turned out, was the baby sister of Louise's future husband. After graduating in 1953, Louise attended Montana State University in Bozeman in pursuit of a nursing degree. Louise took a break from her college education after marrying Albert Donnelly in 1954. Living in Miles City, where Al worked for Montana-Dakota Utilities for 39 years, Louise and Al were faithful Catholics and active members of Sacred Heart Parish who had eight children between 1955 and 1973: Dianne, Karen, Kevin, Daniel, Brian, Conan, Daren, and Sean. Often spending weekends at her beloved family ranch on the Powder River, Louise and Al's lives revolved around their family and children, attending games and school programs, going to church, taking the family on vacations, and just enjoying the little pleasures of life, like taking the family to the Dairy Queen, the Airport Inn, or for evening drives in the Yellowstone valley. When her youngest child was old enough to attend school, Louise resumed her education, earning a degree as a registered nurse from Miles Community College. She then accepted a position as an RN at Custer County Rest Home, where she worked until her retirement in 1994. Louise greatly enjoyed her career as a nurse, especially the opportunity to work at the rest home with her sister Phyllis, who was also an RN there for many years. In 1994, Louise was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. For the rest of her life, she inspired admiration from those around her for the courage with which she dealt with the growing challenges of her condition. She remained as active as possible, going on vacations to places she'd always wanted to visit, like Ireland, Hawaii, Alaska, Boston, and Branson, Missouri. She also joined a knitting circle, which not only offered her a chance to spend more time with her good friends in the group, but also allowed her to keep fighting to maintain her physical dexterity that Parkinson's disease had begun to erode. For several years, she kept her advancing symptoms at bay, and in the process produced several beautiful knitted hats for her new baby grandchildren, who seemed to arrive nearly every year in those days. In 2008, Louise's beloved husband, Albert, passed away at the age of 80, after 54 years of marriage. For several more years, she remained active, traveling with family when she was able, and enjoying time with her children and grandchildren, of whom several more were born during the final years of her life. In recent months, as she knew her time was near at hand, Louise reassured her family that she had lived a full and happy life and was at peace, ready for "the long journey" ahead of her. Louise was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Donnelly; her daughters, Karen and Dianne Donnelly; her sons, Daniel and Brian Donnelly; her sister, Betty Lamach; her brother, Jim Niles; and her parents, Esther and Charles Niles. She is survived by her sons Kevin (Lori) Donnelly of Miles City, Conan (Jeannette) Donnelly also of Miles City, Daren (Shawna) Donnelly of Missoula, and Sean (Kelby) Donnelly of Great Falls, as well as by her sister, Phyllis Kempf of Miles City, and her brother, Chuck Niles of Spearfish, S.D. She is also survived by eighteen beloved grandsons and granddaughters, and numerous nieces and nephews. Louise was an extraordinarily wonderful woman, a woman of great faith, and one who always treated others with caring and kindness. She will be fondly remembered by all those who knew her, and although we mourn her passing, may we also take heart in the faith that she has gone on to a far better place. To paraphrase the great author C.S. Lewis, her life here on earth was but the cover and title page, and she has now begun the greatest story of all, which no one has ever read, which goes on forever, and in which every chapter is better than the one before it, and we can all truly say that she is living happily ever after. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 from 1:00-7:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City followed by a Rosary and Vigil service at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Miles City. Rite of Committal will follow in the Calvary Cemetery, Miles City, MT.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Esther Louise Niles Donnelly's memorial?
Esther Louise Niles Donnelly's memorial is located at: Calvary Cemetery, Miles City, Custer County, USA.
When did Esther Louise Niles Donnelly death?
Esther Louise Niles Donnelly death on 17 Jul 2015 in Miles City, Custer County, Montana, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Esther Louise Niles Donnelly's memorial?
Latitude: 46.3816986
Longitude: -105.8249969

Family Members:

Parent

Charles A Niles

(1899 - 1973)

Esther Estelle Wesner Niles

(1898 - 1954)

Spouse

Albert Francis “Al” Donnelly

(1928 - 2008)

Siblings

Elinore Elizabeth Niles Lamach

(1922 - 1992)

Phyllis Niles Kempf

(1925 - 2022)

CPL James George Ewald Niles

(1926 - 2009)

Children

Dianne Louise Donnelly

(1955 - 2012)

Karen Jean Donnelly

(1956 - 2008)

Daniel Avery Donnelly

(1959 - 1959)

Brian Joseph Donnelly

(1960 - 2012)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Calvary Cemetery
Miles City, Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.3816986, -105.8249969

2. Old Calvary Cemetery
Miles City, Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.3807600, -105.8246500

3. Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery
Miles City, Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.3807564, -105.8246536

4. Custer County Cemetery
Miles City, Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.3891983, -105.8264008

5. Pine Hills School Cemetery
Miles City, Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.4077988, -105.8167038

6. Fort Keogh Cemetery
Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.3800011, -105.8874969

7. Pine Crest Cemetery
Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.4564018, -105.7789001

8. Hathaway Cemetery
Rosebud County, USA
Coordinate: 46.2616997, -106.2185974

9. Rosebud Cemetery
Rosebud, Rosebud County, USA
Coordinate: 46.2689018, -106.4381027

10. Powder River Supply Depot Cemetery
Terry, Prairie County, USA
Coordinate: 46.7302900, -105.4350800

11. Rock Springs Cemetery
Rock Springs, Rosebud County, USA
Coordinate: 46.7847800, -106.1411500

12. MacKenzie Family Cemetery
Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.1569500, -105.1448000

13. Prairie County Cemetery
Terry, Prairie County, USA
Coordinate: 46.7881012, -105.3443985

14. Knowlton Cemetery
Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.3210983, -105.0710983

15. Little Flat Community Cemetery
Fallon, Prairie County, USA
Coordinate: 46.4598000, -105.0291700

16. Forsyth Cemetery
Forsyth, Rosebud County, USA
Coordinate: 46.2689018, -106.6528015

17. Cottonwood Cemetery
Custer County, USA
Coordinate: 46.4294014, -104.9674988

18. North Stacey Cemetery
Powder River County, USA
Coordinate: 45.7569008, -105.8814011

19. Fallon Cemetery
Prairie County, USA
Coordinate: 46.8168983, -105.1327972

20. Little Flat Community Cemetery
Fallon, Prairie County, USA
Coordinate: 46.7659300, -105.0487600

21. Bean Cemetery
Rosebud County, USA
Coordinate: 45.8535995, -106.4011002

22. Lutheran Cemetery
Fallon, Prairie County, USA
Coordinate: 46.8320800, -105.1120100

23. Mildred Cemetery
Mildred, Prairie County, USA
Coordinate: 46.6850204, -104.9543457

24. Brown Cemetery
Colstrip, Rosebud County, USA
Coordinate: 45.8321991, -106.4180984