Don was married to Mary Wallin (1926-2016), a native of St. Charles, in April, 1953.
He spent time working in the auto industry, alongside his younger brother Art Nietling (1931-2009), and in 1954 they partnered together to purchase the grocery store belonging to Joe Sandborn (1890-1964), which was formerly located at 414 East Broad Street.
Don would eventually acquire full ownership of the store, which was renamed to East Side Grocery.
The couple’s first home together appears to have been at 230 Line Street, where they were still living at the time that their third child was born in April, 1956.
Records show, however, that by the next year the family had moved into the home at 312 East Broad Street.
East Side Grocery was sold to Paul Weber (1912-1974) in 1965.
Donald Nietling remained in Chesaning for several more years after selling the store, and it is presumed the family continued living at 312 East Broad Street during this time.
Donald retired and moved up to Lake City sometime around 1970, and it’s not known who acquired the property after he left town.
The home’s final residents appear to have been newlyweds George and Gail Mader, who moved here after their marriage in August, 1978.
Their stay could not have been very long, however, as the property the home occupied had already drawn the interest of Sunshine Food Stores, a Flint-based company which had recently made plans to expand their chain of convenience stores into Chesaning.
Despite protests from a coalition of local citizens who were opposed to the new store, the company was able to complete its purchase of the land, and construction began in January of 1979, bringing an end to the history of the Frederick Miller house.