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funeral mass for 
, 82, will be 11 am Thursday, July 20, at St. Catherine Catholic Church, Valley City. Visitation will be 5 -7 pm Wednesday at the Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel, Valley City with a prayer service at 7 pm in the chapel. Visitation will continue one hour before the service in the church. Burial will be in Hillside Cemetery, Valley City. He died July 15, 2017 at Sanford Palliative Care Unit in Fargo, North Dakota.
Harold was born on April 29, 1935 to Frank and Johanna Nilles. He grew up in Durbin, North Dakota on the family farm. He attended a one room schoolhouse, in Everest, North Dakota and graduated from Lincoln High School in Casselton, North Dakota. Harold attended St. John’s University for a short time before transferring to North Dakota State University where he received his degree in Pharmacy.
After college he spent some time in California, before returning and beginning his career at the Casselton Drug store. He met Elaine Pedersen and they were married June 25, 1960 in Casselton. They moved to Valley City in 1961 were he began working at Dakota Drug. Harold was active in the Jaycee’s; Elks, where he was a Past Exalted Ruler; and the 24th district Republican Party, serving as its treasurer for 26 years.
After spending quality time in St Luke’s Hospital, Fargo, as a result of contracting Gullian-Barre Syndrome, also known as French Polio in 1984, Harold became known as “the hat man of St. Luke’s”. When he returned home he began working at Valley Drug, which he later bought and then sold when he retired.
Harold was awarded the Outstanding Handicapped Citizen award in 1987, and before his retirement he was granted a life-time pharmacy license.
Harold loved working with wood and spent many enjoyable hours making a variety of products for gifts for family and friends or for sale. Other interest included gardening, photography, wine making, and making homemade horseradish. Working with model railroads was also a favorite pastime.
He was preceded in death by his wife Elaine, parents Frank and Johanna, and one brother Paul.
He is survived by his children, Sharon Nilles (friend, Mike McCrossin),Bangor, Maine and Jon Nilles, Valley City, along with his brothers and sisters, Audrey (Leroy) Dauner, Hawley, Minnesota, James (Joyce) Nilles, Faulkton , South Dakota, Rosemary Trom, Gilbert, Iowa, Carl Nilles, Fessenden, North Dakota, Donald (Mary Ellen) Nilles, Casselton, Mary Ann (Edwin) Cooke, Fargo, David (Jenell) Nilles, Fargo, and Deborah (Scott) Smith, Shawnee Mission, Kansas. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank City-County Health, Valley City, especially Lori Corwin, Tammy Langland and Eileen Ryan, who helped Harold maintain his independence.
Memorials may be made to the GBP/CIPD Foundation, 375 East Elm Street, Suite 101, Conshohocken, PA 19428. www.gbs-cipd.org or the Arbor Day Foundation, www.arborday.org
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel, Valley City. An online guestbook is available at www.oliver-nathanchapel.com