Timothy Paul Nieman

1950 - 2023

Obituary

Timothy Paul Nieman was born on May 31, 1950, in Woodstock, IL to Hubert and Aileen Nieman, nee Triebold. His sister, Barb, was born into the family on July 5th, 1954. He enjoyed growing up in the country outside of Harvard, IL until moving to Crystal Lake, IL in high school. He spoke most fondly of weekly visits to his grandparent’s farm in Whitewater, WI; traveling to New York to visit his aunt; and enjoyed a special bond with his parents and sister.

In his high school years, he became actively involved in Debate Club; Latin Club; was President of the Thespians; and was a member of the Quill and Scroll Honorary Literary Society. He attended Crystal Lake-Ridgefield Presbyterian Church.

Tim attended Carroll College in Waukesha, WI, majoring in political science and minoring in English Literature, graduating in 1972. He was active in the Carroll College Choir which involved a memorable tour through Europe. His academic experiences were enhanced by an additional art history trip through Italy and Greece. His most talked about memories were the regular ice cream socials on Friday nights and Carroll’s freshman “initiation” of wearing a beanie 😊. He spent his summers working as a lifeguard.

It was during his time at Carroll that he met Martha Eiler, his wife of 48 years. They maintained a long-distance relationship while he attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, College of Law. He graduated with his Juris Doctor in 1975.

Tim and Martha married on August 30, 1975, in Wheaton, IL. That same year, he was admitted to the Illinois State Bar and began his first job with the federal VISTA program in downtown Chicago. They moved to Oregon, IL in 1977 where he joined the law firm of Gerard, Moehle & Smith in General Practice, which eventually led to his partnership as Moehle, Smith & Nieman. During this time, Tim also received his Master of Law degree in Taxation from John Marshall Law School, Chicago.

Their daughters, Cecily, was born on August 19, 1980, and Julia on October 6, 1984. In Oregon, he was a member of First Presbyterian Church and actively involved in its work. He was also a member of Kiwanis and the Oregon School Board for several years. With his family he enjoyed activities such as camping, biking, cross-country skiing, & rollerblading.

In 2000, Tim was sworn in as the Honorable Timothy Paul Nieman as an Ogle County Circuit Court Judge. He considered this one of the highlights and most enjoyable times in his career.

Late 2002, Tim relocated to Eau Claire, WI to join Martha and Julia. There he began his 17-year career as an Account Manager for Thomson Reuters Legal Division. Tim made the 90-mile drive daily to Eagan, Minnesota during most of that time. He retired in 2015.

Tim developed love for and pride in Eau Claire for its friendly people, its nature, community and culture. He was active in the Eau Claire First Presbyterian Church, serving as an Elder, Clerk of Session, Bell Choir member and on other various committees; enjoying the fellowship of the weekly Men’s Breakfast group. He was actively involved in volunteer activities such as monthly blood platelet donations, Salvation Army bell ringing during the holidays, overnight duty at Beacon House, election poll worker, supporting the local library, community foundation and initiation of local community solar garden.

Some of his favorite past-times included reading and collecting books, reading the daily news and political happenings, model trains, talking politics, bonsai trees, fish aquaria, beer brewing, and relaxing in the hammock. Life was enriched by travels around the United States, to Hudson Bay, Yosemite National Park, St John’s VI, Scotland, Hawaii and Alaska, especially if trains were involved.

Family was most important to Tim. Nick Weber, Cecily’s husband, and Chris Bladorn, Julia’s husband, were welcomed into the family in 2006 and 2013, respectively. In 2015, Tim’s granddaughter, Carleigh, was born, followed by grandson, Grayson, in 2018. Tim was a devoted grandfather and could be found sitting on the floor playing make believe or anything else that interested his grandchildren. He never hesitated to help change a messy diaper or get up early to give mom and dad a break. Family get-togethers were the most special times for Tim. Tim maintained close relationships with his extended family: the Dolmons, sister Barb, brother-in-law Lou, their children Rebecca and Ari; the Eilers, Martha’s brother John, his wife Nancy, and children, Weston and Luke; Martha’s sister Lois; caring for Martha’s parents, Heinrich and Jean Eiler. Also dear to his heart were his New Warrior brothers, Mark Bellone, Don Borisch, Steve Lee, John Marqua, and Stephen Walker.

Tim was diagnosed with aggressive cancer in September 2022 and subsequently underwent likewise aggressive treatment. Until his diagnosis, he enjoyed a full and active life. We loved his playful nature, his unbridled laugh, his concern for others, his generosity, his devotion to family and friends. With his love for and of his family, the support of his community, he never gave up trying and the hope of healing until his death on Sunday, July 23, 2023. He will be greatly missed by us all.

The memorial service for Tim will be held Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 1:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 2112 Rudolph Rd, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Visitation begins at 12:30 pm. Time for personal sharing will be a part of the service. If you wish to share but do not want to speak, bring your thoughts in writing and someone will read them for you. Refreshment will be served following the service in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the L.E. Phillips Library Endowment Fund through the Eau Claire Community Foundation; or the American Red Cross Blood Services (Direct Donation Line, 1-800-733-2767, option 4), to which he donated 17 gallons of platelets, which impacted 400 lives.

Below is the Zoom link for the Memorial service October 7th, 2023 at 1:30pm.

First Presbyterian is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting

Topic: Tim Nieman Memorial Service

Time: Oct 7, 2023 01:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84421982937?pwd=UTZPWVl6cmpJODZlQVVNYk9sbXFidz09

Meeting ID: 844 2198 2937

Passcode: 309166

Chippewa Valley Cremation Services - Celebration of Life Center in Altoona is serving the family.