In Remembrance

John Henry Childers was born 28 July 1939 in Edgecombe, County, NC was the eighth child of twelve born to William Ellis Childers and Mary Pearl Ivey. John passed away at 4 am 6 October 2022.

When old enough John worked with his older brothers and sisters in their father’s business as a Steeplejack there, he learned the trade and skills required to safely paint water tanks, smoke stacks, grain elevators, etc.

John grew up in a close-knit family he enjoyed fishing and swimming in the nearby creeks and rivers. One popular place was Bellamy Mills a water powered grist mill built in the 1850’s still in operation during this time, many summer days was enjoyed in the shade trees along the banks of Fishing Creek. Other favorite spots included Seven Bridges, The Wheel Hole, Hobucken, Weldon.

John Childers of Troop 110 was awarded a Certificate of Heroism from the National Court of Awards. David Williams fell from a pier at a nearby lake while fishing and was in imminent danger of drowning, and except for the prompt and courageous action of Scout Childers, Williams would have lost his life. A number of the citizens of Battleboro on February 12 attended the banquet to do honor to the brave Scout.

John growing up was a huge prankster this seemed to run in the family as his older siblings would go out of their way to play a joke. John continued to keep his pranks going even through adult hood, (Who knows he may have one more) His Celebration of Life on 30 October? Night before Halloween! Could this have been planned by design!!

His favorite playground was the Battleboro Cemetery in Battleboro, North Carolina. John and his siblings loved to play there, even now when any of the Childers clan visits North Carolina it one of their first stops to visit. That and a good North Carolina Bar-B-Q restaurant.

When old enough John left home to join the army as all his brothers and father had done before him to carry on the family patriotic duty. After retiring from the Army John made his home in Minnesota. There he met and married LindaLee Karen MacDonald

John bought a small farm in Cloquet, Minnesota which he quickly began to fill up with animals not for eating! as soon as he would get another, they quickly became a family member. Every animal would become his favorite. His two cows Buster and Peggy, dogs: Brownie & Grizzly, cats: Old Yellow, Midnight, Cali, and Snowball. Not to mention Turkeys, Ducks, Chickens, etc. He loved his farm, he liked to mow the lawn, he loved to go on vacation to see family.

John is survived by his wife LindaLee Karen MacDonald Childers, daughters, Veronica Ann Priolo and husband Nick, Bernice Patricia Childers, Jeannie Sterling, brother in-law Bruce MacDonald and wife Michelle,

Grandchildren (Jesse James), whom he adored and enjoyed spending time with; and many special nieces, nephews, and friends.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Please join family and friends for a special time to celebrate and remember John Henry Childers’s wonderful life on October 30th starting at 2 p.m. till 6 p.m. Solway Town Hall 4029 Munger Shaw Rd. Cloquet, Mn 55720 corner of Hwy 2 and Munger Shaw Road.