Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, one of the 13 people killed in last week’s massacre at Fort Hood, had strong ties to the Columbia Falls area where several of his relatives still reside.

“He had the kindest heart I’ve ever known,” Nemelka’s aunt, Paula Aegerter, said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon from the airport in Detroit, as she watched television coverage of President Barack Obama’s salute to the slain soldiers.

Aegerter — who was en route home to Kalispell — is the sister of Nemelka’s mother, Teena Blades Nemelka. They grew up in Columbia Falls. Nemelka’s father, Michael Nemelka, lived for a time in Kalispell.

“I just saw my sister on CNN,” Aegerter said. “I should be there with her but she wanted me to go through with my vacation.”

During his salute, the president said that “Private First Class Aaron Nemelka was an Eagle Scout who just recently signed up to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the service — defuse bombs — so that he could help save lives.

“He was proudly carrying on a tradition of military service that runs deep within his family,” Obama said.  

Nemelka, 19, had chosen to join the Army instead of going on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was the youngest of four children. Aegerter has five children and said all of the cousins spent a lot of time together through the years for holidays and other special occasions.

“He loved Montana,” Aegerter recalled, adding that her daughter, Alyssa Ladenburg, a 2009 Columbia Falls High School graduate, and Nemelka “were like best friends.” Nemelka had wanted to come to Columbia Falls for his cousin’s graduation, but couldn’t because of his military duties.

Aegerter said she will travel from Kalispell to the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan for the viewing of her nephew’s body on Friday and the funeral on Saturday.

 Nemelka’s late grandfather, Alvin “Alvie” Blades, was a longtime Columbia Falls resident who served in the Korean War and received a Purple Heart. His grandmother, Columbia Falls native Dora Mae Blades, now lives in West Jordan, Utah.

Military service runs deep in Nemelka’s family.

“He was a super boy, one you’d like to have as your own,” Roger Blades of Columbia Falls said of his great-nephew. “He was a nice guy, very gentle.”

Roger Blades said five brothers in the Blades family — there were 13 children — served in the military, three of them at the same time during the Korean War. Alvie served in the Army, Roger in the Navy and William in the Air Force. Two other brothers served in World War II.

Nemelka’s paternal grandfather, Michael Nemelka, served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Two uncles and a cousin also served in the military.

Nemelka’s uncle, Columbia Falls native Maj. Mike Blades of the Montana National Guard, will accompany his nephew’s body back to Salt Lake City.

In a statement from the family, Blades said his nephew was proud to serve and felt keenly the responsibility of representing his nation and his family.

“He felt it was his duty to stand with them in defense of our country,” Michael Blades said. “Aaron believed we are all, first and foremost, Americans. Not Democrats, not Republicans, not white, black, brown or any other color. We are Americans.”

Nemelka enjoyed soccer, bowling and snowboarding and was an avid fan of the University of Utah Utes, he said.

Nemelka was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in January, his family said in a statement. He enlisted in the Army in October 2008.

Family members said in their statement that “one of the most poignant and lamentable aspects of this tragedy is he intended to ask his girlfriend, Kristen, to marry him when he came home on leave next month. She would have said yes...”

Michael Blades said his nephew had a tremendous love for his family and a deep sense of duty.

“His mission is completed,” Blades said. “He now serves a higher calling in heaven.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

 Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com