Nicholes, Elsa G. Elsa G. Nicholes, age 45 of Newaygo, passed away following a short illness on Monday, May 14, 2007 at the Transitional Health Services in Fremont. Elsa was born on January 27, 1962 in Corpus Christi, Texas to Efrain and Beatrice (Mata) Guerra Sr. and moved to the West Michigan area in 1980 from Alice, Texas. Elsa met and married Floyd Nicholes on December 19, 1981 in Shelby, Michigan and Floyd preceded her in death on February 26, 1997. Elsa had worked at the Gerber Life Insurance Company in the customer service department in Fremont for 17 years and currently was employed by Donnelly Corporation in Newaygo. Elsa was a member of the Newaygo County Victim Services Unit, member of the Newaygo County Sheriffs Posse, Fremont Moose Lodge Auxiliary. She also taught school at the Croton Day Care for the past several months. She was greatly loved as a mother, wella, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She is survived by her fianc, Otis Madden of Louisiana, Missouri; her son, Michael Jerome Guerra (Angela) Nicholes of Bailey; stepdaughter, Cyndi Lynice (Nicholes) Bufford of Twin Lake; her grandchildren, Michael, Dixie, Zackarie, Mackenzie, and Gage Nicholes; Danny and Samantha Mudge; her mother, Beatrice M. Garza of Alice, Texas; her brother, Efrain (Maria) Guerra Jr. of Rothbury; Edna (Eliseo) Neira of San Antonio, Texas; Elva (Chris) Perez of Alice, Texas; Irma Garza of Alice, Texas; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd and her father, Efrain Guerra Sr. Funeral services were held on Saturday, May 19, 2007 from the Crandell Funeral Home Fremont Chapel with interment in the Middle Branch Township Cemetery near Cadillac. Friends may consider the Newaygo County Victim Services Unit for memorial contributions in memory of Elsa. Friends may also send a condolence or share a memory with the Nicholes Family online at www.crandellfh.com Arrangements by Crandell Funeral Home Fremont Chapel. Click here to post a condolence or memory of Elsa G. Nicholes on-line To the family of Elsa. I worked with Elsa from 1992-1997 at Gerber Life. She was loved by all! I know she is happy and content now, being with Floyd, the love of her life. I came to see Elsa 2 weeks ago and just as I remembered , she had the pink flamingo nail polish on! That was definitely one of her trade marks! The crazy nails!!! She would do her nails for every holiday and make up holidays just to do her nails! She lived and loved life. She will be sadly missed! Patti (Sutton) Genschaw Posted 5/16/07 Elsa, I miss you already. You were a fun loving, always happy and always smiling person with great nails. Your laughter was contagious. I miss our lunches together at Gerber Life and shopping for skinny clothes at Walmart. You were a person who knew how to have fun. My heart goes out to your dear family who you always talked very highly about. Sincerely your friend Ninajo Wallace. Posted 5/16/07 Dear Elsa and her Family, I worked with Elsa at Gerber Life from 1998 to 2001 in the customer service department. I still worked at Gerber and saw Elsa until she left Gerber. I loved Elsa very much. What can I say, she was a wild and crazy girl!! She had the brightest smile and always made me laugh. She was so happy all the time. I will miss her very much. I just saw her a while back and it's like where you left off the last time you talked. Please know you are in my heart Elsa. You will be missed by a lot of people girl. Love Missy. Melissa Westbrook Posted 5/16/07 To the family of Elsa, Elsa and I worked together over 11 years ago as Telephone Reps at Gerber Life. We sat back to back and became instant friends. After leaving Gerber Life, I've only seen Elsa a few times but not in the past 3 or 4 years. Just 2 months ago, she came to visit me where I currently work and I didn't recognize her until I asked if I could help her and she said, "I sure hope you can!" then I knew instantly as I recognized her voice! She looked great! We talked and took a walk down memory lane for an hour! It was great! I was so glad that she stopped by so now I will have that great memory she gave me to cherish. Thank you, Elsa, for the great years at Gerber Life and all the fun we had! Thank you, to her family, for sharing her with us. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Karen O'Neal RE/MAX Connection Posted 5/16/07 To the family of Elsa: I was truly blessed to have known Elsa. She certainly was a delight to be with. She spread cheer and love no matter where she was. She was my partner when I was in Victim Services and was acquainted with my husband when he was with the posse. We were all lucky to have known her and Tom and I will miss her. Bevan Brock Posted 5/17/07 Elsa is a very special person. It was my privilege to know her as a co-worker at Gerber Life and I will always remember her wonderful smile and great personality. She is in my thoughts and prayers. Ferol Borkowski Posted 5/17/07 My name is Cyndi Knash and for many years I worked with Elsa at GLIC. She was a great freind and I enjoyed having her teach me, this 'dutch chick' spanish. It was with alot of laughter and alittle sucess, I might add. She will be missed and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and our freinds. Posted 5/17/07 Elsa, We are thankful that we got to know you. We are better people for your smile, your enthusiasm and the caring you brought into the lives of people around you. The best pumpkin pie I ever had was made by you. Our friend, we will never forget you. Dean & Juanita Thomas Louisiana MO. Posted 5/17/07 Elsa's Family, All of us that have known her could be said to be 'Elsa's Family'. Even though I have not had the opportunity to see her often over the past few years, she holds a special place in my heart. You could not help but love her when seeing her friendly smile and experiencing the easy way she had of communicating with whoever she came in contact with. I will always be grateful for having known her. Nina Fick, pka Nina Gill Best regards, Nina. Posted 5/18/07 To Elsa's family--Elsa and I started about the same time at Gerber Life. The file room was always a brighter place to work with Elsa around. Her smile and sense of humor will be greatly missed. God bless you all. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Jean Sherman Posted 5/18/07 Elsa, We have been truly blessed for having you in our lives,with your beautiful smile and bubbling personality. We will greatly missed by all. Rose Ellen and Richard Copenhaver Leonard, Mo Maria, Steven and Derek Howes LaBelle,Mo Posted 5/19/07 My Tribute To Elsa Elsa was a phenomenal lady, She was my most beloved friend. My Best Buddy. She was that one special friend you get in a lifetime if you're lucky. She was my confidant, she made me laugh hardest and she would cry just as hard as me when I was troubled. I could tell her anything and know it wouldn't go any further. She could share my anger but never take it to heart and could calm me down and get me to see the other side or point of view. She was honorable, dependable, trustworthy. I once asked another friend just what is faith and trust and she gave me a very good definition. Elsa showed me first hand what faith and trust are. If she said she would do something or go somewhere with you she did. She never once in all the years I've known her renagged on anything, never broke one promise. She was a tower of strength to me many, many times and my rock thru difficulties. She valued helping me out in many ways, many times but refused repayment. She didn't want anyone to feel they owed her, yet in reality I amongst others owed her plenty, more than I could ever repay. I learned if you wanted to pay her way at the movies, be the first to the counter and then absolutely refuse to take the money she offered as repayment. I learned to ask to be let out at the restaurant door while she parked the car so I could order for her and pay for the meal. She caught on to this one real quick. After the second time as a matter of fact! Elsa loved giving and was a giver, never a taker. She was the truest of friends, loving, caring, compassionate, considerate, faithful, kind, genuine, honest, truthful and pure fun to be with and so much more. Scripture teaches to loved unconditionally and Elsa did! She was a true, real treasure hidden within an earthern vessel. How precious to those of us who were fortunate to have been drewn into her deep bosom of friendship! I'm sure all her friends have these memories and many personal ones of their own. Having said all this I've barely touched the surface of Elsas' beauty and her personality. In closing I want to tell you about one of the times she was visiting me and I had a piece of paper on the table with the chorus "Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me. Sometimes it's hard to beleive but he loves me." She asked me to play and sing it for her and I did. My keyboard is in a different room than the livingroom where she was. Upon returning to the livingroom she grabbed me and said Ted, I love that chorus, can I take this paper home with me Then joking with me she said, of course I'll have to change the words to I hope Jesus loves me, etc. I said Now girl cut it out you know Jesus loves you. The other night it seems i heard her singing, "Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me. I really know, cause He's told me so, Yes, He loves me!!! How priviledged I feel for being blessed with Elsa as my friend and I will miss her more than I could ever express. We never left each otheres company or ended a telephone conversation without telling each other we loved each other so I end by saying. I LOVE YOU, Girl!!! Your Buddy, Teddy Snyder Posted 5/21/07 Elsa, Words can't say how hard it was to see you. It was three years ago this weekend that you and I went on our "girls trip" up north. We had a blast and ate a huge dinner at Boone's. You were laughing and teasing me of course as it was also gus macker weekend where we were. We had such a nice time eating ice cream and going for walks in the park next door. You wanted me to drive and it was a good thing too. On the way back we were right in the middle of Blessing of the Bikes in Baldwin and you had never seen it. You were like a little kid with your nose pressed against the window in the van at the amount of bikes that were on the street. It was a blessing I was driving or you would probably have hit one and it would have been one big domino affect. It was grat I thank you for that special time. I also thank you for showing up at my house on your motorcycle all dressed in leather. Blew me away for sure. Of course your hair, nails and makeup were done to perfection. There is alot of memeories of you stopping by and dragging me on one of your many walks and I had all I could do to keep up. You sure are a treasure. Too you Otis...she loved you with all her heart and I thank God you gave her that love and time.I know you are missing her and if it was at all possible I know she would have fought to stay here for you. I'm sure she is up there taking care of business and making sure everyone is ok and of course in line. Too you... the beautifull sister whom stayed with her through this whole horrible ordeal. You are a gem and one of the most beautifull women I have ever meant. If any of us could have the courage to do what you did we would all be a better person for it. Please take care of mom as I know this is very hard for her also. I will think of the family often and hope you are doing ok. It was very hard on you I know you did all you could do and there is a special place up there for you. You are the best. Elsa was not only a friend and of course my biggest critic when I needed it and of course full of advice for me whether I wanted it or not she was a pure angel. I am older than Elsa and you would think it was the other way around the way she gave me my "what nots". If she did not call me "Jeannie in the bottle" half the time she could not remember my name. That is how she introduced me to everyone. In closing Elsa I loved you with all my heart and am remembering the good times and the look on your face and you grabbing my hand at Transitional. You are an inspiration to me and to both of my daughters as you loved them too. Tell my dad and Grandma hi for me and not any bad stories .Take care of my dad for me too as I miss him every day. I love you with all my heart. Jeannie (in the bottle) Posted 5/19/07