Michelle was first photographed during the Stay-at-Home order with her husband, Jake. Both were working for Summit County Job and Family Services. She eventually was working from home full time, but Jake was required to be on site as he was still within his training period.
“The beginning of the shutdown was crazy at work,” she said. “We had to navigate unemployment for ourselves and we were also handling calls about unemployment. Before the pandemic we could never work from home because our work involves people's personal information. Our IT department is small, so it took time, but by early April, about 75 of us were set up to safely work from home.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, Michelle and Jake enjoyed daily walks with their dogs and socially distanced visits with friends and family. Sometimes their parents would drop off meals and gifts on the front porch. Michelle’s mom is considered high risk, so even distanced visits didn’t happen for about a month, which was hard on Michelle.
In July of 2020, Jake unexpectedly died of a heart attack in his sleep, next to Michelle. “He had an enlarged heart,” she shared. “He actually had a doctor’s appointment scheduled that week. He was taken way too soon. That whole time is very blurry. I remember bits and pieces of that two week period—like, my sister was there immediately and she lives in Virginia.
The number of people who showed up for Jake in the middle of the pandemic was crazy to me. It was more important to celebrate his life than to even think about anything having to do with the pandemic. It was very hot the day of his services, but people were lined up outside for hours.”
Michelle returned to work about a week after Jake’s funeral. “I felt I needed to work, something to keep my mind busy. I stayed with my mom for a while; I didn’t want to be alone. We all went to therapy and still do. I needed something to tell me that life would still go on. I really like my therapist. She has helped me with different exercises to help me process everything and I’m grateful for this work. I just wanted to be able to make it through the day, and now I can.”
Living as a widow in the same home where her husband passed has been daunting. It took Michelle some time to enter their bedroom again. Jake was a talented 2D and 3D artist and had a workspace/studio where he spent a lot of time. The room was filled with art, tools, even paint brushes resting in a jar of water. “I hung up more shelving to display his art, his dad’s artwork, childhood toys, all these things that have memories of him,” she said. “I was hanging onto Jake’s clothes, I didn’t want to get rid of a single thing…not even his socks and underwear. It felt like getting rid of him when you’re getting rid of his clothes. One day his best friend Erik said he saw Jake in a dream and Jake said: “Tell Shelly to throw away my socks and underwear.” Which was crazy but funny, too.”
Michelle continues the tradition of hosting the annual “Nelson Halloween Party”, which includes an elaborate Yard Haunt, featuring handcrafted artwork created by Jake, his brother, and his dad. “His friends have come over for every Halloween party and I want them to take something of Jake’s. I like making sure I can give things to people so they can be loved by more than just me.”
In March of 2024, Michelle’s job required her to come to the office one day a week. In September of 2025, all employees were required to return to the office full time. “It sucks. We had a new routine over the past five years. It’s been a big change and it’s so hard.”
As Michelle has navigated a hard loss, she shared her perspective on processing grief. “Grief can bring you to your lowest point and then bounce you back into life, it’s weird like that. Grief doesn't exist on any timeline, it’s a spectrum, as most things are. I surround myself with family, friends, and experiences. I've got my friends, the ones who count, who are sticking close and who are sticking it out."
Cuyahoga Falls
May 2020
Cuyahoga Falls
October, 2020