The Ely Miner, December 13, 1956
Funeral Services Held For Fred S. Childers
Funeral services for Fred S. Childers, 71, pioneer resident and retired prospector, were held Monday at 10:00 a.m. at the Ely Methodist church with Rev. Ronald Guderian and the Rev. Clifford Holm officiating. Burial was in the family plot at the Lakeview cemetery in Tower with the Lynn Mortuary in charge of arrangements.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon S. Childers, he was born in Soudan, August 20, 1885, and was a member of the first graduating class of the Ely schools. Most of his lifetime was spent in the Ely area with the later years devoted to prospecting. He was the discoverer of the copper nickel deposits in the Kawishiwi area. He passed away on Thursday, December 6, after a brief illness. He was a member of the Ely lodge No. 1580, Loyal Order of Moose.
Survivors include his widow, Ebba, five sons, Fred C., Owen and Lyman, all of Ely, Warren of Washington, D.C., and Robert of Minneapolis, one daughter, Miss Pauline Childers of Ely, one sister, Mrs. R.J. Whiteside, Duluth, and several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers were George and Waino Sortiero, Harlan Krause, Eric Runn, John Nicholas and William Shop.

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Bio. written by Warren S. Childers:

Frederick "Fred" Childers, youngest of the early Ely family, was born in Soudan, Minnesota, in August 1885, missing by only weeks of being the first child born there. He came to Ely in 1896 and was a member of the first graduating class. He worked at various positions in his youth including both underground and on the surface at the mines, operating diamond drills on prospecting trips for various interests, and, in off season, operating the livery stable (horse and auto) for the Exchange Hotel. In March of 1913 he married an Ely school teacher, Miss Ebba Swenson of another pioneer family who were now prominent in St. Cloud, Minnesota; they "honeymooned" at the Lakeview Hotel in Ely, which is still standing and operative. For several years they moved about the state, Fred employed at various jobs including the Hull-Rust mine in Hibbing, harvesting in the Minn-North Dakota fields, and as an agent in Southern Minnesota for a Playground Equipment Co. At one point he was a candidate Sheriff of Benton County which includes part of St. Cloud where Mrs. Childers' family was prominent in social, political, and educational fields. In 1925 they returned to the Ely area where they were to live their lives out; they had eight children, six of whom were to live to adulthood and all of whom graduated from Ely schools.
Fred operated the Vermilion Trail Lodge as a nightclub for two years, the second year being cut short by the absconding of his partner with all the assets while Fred was out of town moving his family back to Ely. He worked at a variety of jobs over the ensuing years including as, first, a cook and subsequently as Chief Powderman on the Echo Trail construction. For eight years he was the Night Superintendent at the County Garage.
During World War II he also served as Powderman at the construction of the Atomic Plant at Hanford, Washington, and later on a similar project in Anchorage, Alaska, where he also attended the University of Alaska and obtained a Certificate to Geology.


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MN Death Index:
Name: Fred Solomon Childers
Birth Date: 20 Aug 1885
Death Date: 6 Dec 1956
Death County: Saint Louis
Mother's Maiden
Name:
Thomas
State File Number: 015000
Certificate
Number:
015000
Certificate Year: 1956
Record Number: 1321797