B.M. Childers

Benjamin Meek Miller Childers passed away on January 18, 2015, following a brief illness. A lifelong resident of Selma, Miller was born on October 1, 1926 to Erasmus Roy Childers and Margaret Miller Childers. Upon graduating from high school, Miller entered the navy, serving in the Pacific theater during WWII. After the war, Miller attended the University of Alabama, earning both Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate degrees. He practiced law in Selma for many years and then served Dallas County as district court judge for eighteen years until his retirement in 1987.

In 1950 Miller married Hallie Milhous Jones. The two were devoted to each other and were married for over 50 years, until Hallie's death in 2001. In 2004 Miller married Josephine Smith Ames, a second happy marriage until Josephine's death in 2009.

Miller was very active in his church, St. Paul's Episcopal, serving as both a warden and vestrymen numerous times and also on many church committees. He also served numerous times as both a delegate to the Alabama diocesan convention and deputy to the Episcopal General Convention. Miller was also extremely civic-minded. He served on the Selma City School Board, the Salvation Army Board, the Public Library Foundation, the Sturdivant Museum Association and the Cahaba Foundation. He was a founding member of the Christian Outreach Alliance Food Pantry, which is now named in his honor.

He is survived by his three children: Caroline Childers Majors, Robert Tingnal Jones Childers (Terry), and Benjamin Meek Miller Childers, Jr.; five grandchildren: Fletcher Bascome Majors, Jr. (Christie), Mary Martin Majors Mitchell (Scott), Miller Childers Majors, Robert Tingal Jones Childers, Jr. and Elizabeth Childers Gay (Eli) and one great grandchild, Phillips Miller Majors.

Internment will be Thursday, January 21, at 12:30 pm at Live Oak Cemetery. Visitation will be at St. Paul's Episcopal at 1:00, followed by the funeral service at 2:00, with a reception afterward in the Upper Hall of the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Paul's Episcopal Church (210 Lauderdale Street, Selma, AL 36701) or to the Christian Outreach Alliance Food Pantry (700 Jeff Davis Avenue, Selma, AL 36701).