James T. Stoffel, 37, passed away on Sunday, June 12, 2016, in Taylor. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 24, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Taylor Stake Center at 309 W. Willow. There will be a viewing one hour prior to the service. There will also be a viewing from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, at Silver Creek Mortuary, 745 Paper Mill Road in Taylor. Interment will follow the funeral service in the Reed Hatch Memorial Cemetery in Taylor. He was born Aug. 18, 1978. in Show Low, the oldest son of Mark Stoffel and Tami (Reidhead) Nikolaus. James spent the first few years of his life living back and forth from Bill’s Lake, north of Show Low to Mesa. He started kindergarten in the Show Low schools. After his kindergarten year he then moved back to Mesa, where he spent the next four years and attended school. In 1988 he moved to Show Low with his mom and brothers, and attended Show Low Elementary School. In 1992 his mom remarried Gordon Nikolaus and they moved to Taylor, where he attended Snowflake Junior High School and Snowflake High School. He later received his GED from Northland Pioneer College and became a certified welder. He later became a certified crane operator and worked in the mining, crushing and construction industries. He also was an equipment operator, plant manager and mechanic. He was a man of many talents, skills and trades. James enjoyed wrestling through his school years, he also enjoyed hunting, fishing and rodeo. He rode bulls for several years. He traded bulls for a Harley in his later years, and became an avid biker. He loved riding his Harley and attending bike rallies. He had a huge, soft heart that he tried to hide from those who really didn’t know him. But animals and his nieces and nephews could see right through that big, bad biker attitude and they all loved Uncle James. He loved helping others, and was kind, generous and loving. James married his high school sweetheart, Kara Leigh Cherry, on Nov. 1, 1997. They had two children; Bailee Dawn was born Oct. 19, 1999, and Stetson Tanner was born Feb. 12, 2001. They lived in Taylor and then in Mesa. They were later divorced. Survivors include his two children, Bailee and Tanner; his parents, Gordon and Tami Nikolaus of Taylor; his father, Mark Stoffel of Springfield, Mo; his grandparents, Jean Reidhead of Linden and Gene Stoffel of Mesa; his siblings, Tenney (Ezra) Borrego of Lakeside, Gordie (Shalynn) Nikolaus of Snowflake, Garrett (Ashley) Nikolaus of Mico, Texas, Clint (Arenda) Stoffel of Fresno, Calif., Reed (Holli) Stoffel of San Tan Valley, Derek (Erin) Stoffel of Tolleson, Logan Nikolaus of Gilbert, Shane Nikolaus and Kayla (Bryson) Stoffel Loyed of Portland, Tenn.; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Terrence (Shorty) Reidhead; his grandmother, LuElla Stoffel; his grandparents, Leland and Betty Nikolaus; his uncles, Keith Ferrel Stoffel and Patrick Kent Reidhead; and the mother of his children, Kara Leigh (Cherry) Williams.
