Mother of four hit by car remembered for her selflessness, caring attitude - East Idaho News
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Mother of four hit by car remembered for her selflessness, caring attitude

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RIGBY — Melissa “Missy” Nielsen lived her 40 years of life in a way that positively impacted countless people.

Nielsen passed away early Wednesday morning after being hit by a car. She leaves behind her husband Curtis and their four children Trinity, Ivan, Daphne and Victor, ages 15 to 4.

Friends and family remember Missy for her giving personality and happy attitude.

“I really do believe that she had done a lot in this life and it was her time to go to the other side and do a lot there,” Curtis said. “At the scene of the accident, I was the third person there, and just the feeling of peace at that accident was very evident.”

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Originally from Ohio, Nielsen moved to Idaho where she attended Ricks College from 1998 to 2000. She graduated with a degree in culinary arts, and she also met Curtis. They were married Aug. 2001.

The couple lived in Utah and Michigan before moving to Rigby in 2008.

“She was the love of my life. She pushed me to do better. I wouldn’t have finished school if she hadn’t pushed me,” Curtis said. “She always gave. She’d sacrifice for anybody and everybody, just a selfless kind of person.”

Nielsen was actively involved in the community. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she held callings in organizations such as Young Women’s, Primary and Scouts.

The stay-at-home mom was also well-known for her popular cake decorating business called Missy’s Cake Studio. She made hundreds of cakes during her lifetime.

“I helped her set up a cake on our very first date. It was one of her first wedding cakes, so for me, I’ve seen her develop her capabilities over the last 19 years and that was her passion,” Curtis told EastIdahoNews.com. “It was something that she had a talent for and the cakes were something that she could personalize. It was a way of her helping those people celebrate whatever the occasion was.”

Missy Nielsen
Courtesy Missy Nielsen Facebook

Camille Rigby met Missy five years ago through their daughter’s dance studio. A few years later, Missy got Rigby involved in PTO at Jefferson Elementary. They did teacher appreciation week together for two years.

Rigby said Missy always wanted the teachers to know how valued they are in the community.

“She always felt like she was just another person. We would be like, ‘Missy, you’re amazing. Thank you so much.’ She’s like, ‘No, I’m not. It’s not a big deal,'” Rigby recalls. “And then you look at Facebook and you see all of these testaments and people saying, ‘Our community is shook,’ and she never would have believed that about herself.”

One day, Rigby remembers Missy texting her saying she was having a tough time. Rigby stopped by to visit her, only to find Missy outside making a life-size chutes and ladders game out of sidewalk chalk for her kids.

“It was about her kids first, her family, the schools, the community, but never her,” Rigby explained.

Krista Briggs is the owner of Dance Unlimited in Rigby where two of Missy’s children dance at. Briggs said over the 10 years they’ve known each other, Missy was always the first to offer help and give support to those who needed it.

“She was really sweet and sincere. She was an amazing mom. (Her kids) they were everything and her husband,” Briggs said. “She wanted them to know what she saw in them — their talent, their beauty and how special they were.”

While life has now changed for those people who knew Missy, Curtis is grateful for everybody who has let the Nielsen family know how much they appreciated her too.

“I’m overwhelmed with how much support and love people have. I think that’s just a reflection of how much Missy loved and supported other people,” Curtis said. “Now it’s being all paid back at once, instead of over her entire lifetime.”

A GoFundMe has been set up as a memorial fund for Missy’s family. Click here to donate.

Nielsen’s funeral will be May 13, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the Pioneer Cemetery, 4023 Ririe Hwy, in Rigby. Anyone who attends is welcome to bring a chair to sit in for the program. There will be no public viewing and no luncheon afterward due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the incident.

Our attorneys tell us we need to put this disclaimer in stories involving fundraisers: EastIdahoNews.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries.

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