Blaine Childress' Obituary
Blaine A. Childress, 93, died peacefully in his sleep May 10, 2009. He was born on August 21, 1915 on a farm in Seymour, Mo., the fourth of ten children born to Robert and Mattie Childress. He was a humanitarian until the day he died. A University of California (USC) graduate, he understood the importance of education. Upon retiring to Missouri, he established a trust that matched donated funds dollar for dollar to build a new library in the city of Seymour. He declined an offer to name the library after himself. Rather, he wanted the citizens of Seymour to be proud of their hometown library as represented by their city’s name. He further established several annual college scholarships for worthy young people from Seymour High School in the names of himself, his mother, and father. He also established an annual scholarship for Willow Springs High School in the name of his late wife Mildred. He established a college tuition refund program for all lineal descendants of his parents. Many family members now into the fifth generation utilized the program to attend college.
He married Mildred Ann Thomas of Willow Springs, Mo., in 1942. They had no children.
In the early 1940’s he attended Missouri State Teacher’s College in Springfield, Mo. Afterward, he went to work for the Border Patrol flying a small airplane along our U.S. borders. During WWII he was assigned to patrol the Florida coast watchful for German One-Man Submarines entering the canals of the state. He later served in the Navy during the latter part of WW II.
After the war, he and Mildred moved to Los Angeles where he worked for the Glendale Fire Dept. While working he completed a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with the University of Southern California. He attained the rank of Captain in the fire department and retired in 1974. While working as a firefighter he acquired various rental properties and became successful in the California real estate market. He moved back to the Springfield area in 1986 where he lived his remaining years.
Preceding Blaine in death were his wife Mildred, parents, three sisters, and two brothers. He is survived by one brother, Herman Childress of Branson, Mo., three sisters, Ruby Hargus of Marshfield, Mo., Louise Gault of Lake View Terrace, Ca., Lora Collins of Bella Vista, Ar., and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 14, 2009 in the Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Seymour, with interment and full military honors in Seymour Masonic Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening in the funeral home. Arrangements are under the direction of the Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Seymour.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Blaine A. Childress Seymour, Missouri Library Cultural Arts Fund (Mention Seymour Library Fund). For credit card donations please visit www.CFOzarks.org and click “Give Online” in upper right hand corner of page and follow instructions. To mail check please send it to: Community Foundation of the Ozarks at 425 E. Trafficway, Springfield, MO 65806. For questions please call 417-864-6199.
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