Mertis Childress

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I call her the fair’s matriarch. She had a booth at the fair every year for 68 years and I could always count on her to help out when I needed someone to mentor a young person. I also sought her advice on numerous occasions for gardening and other things. I’m just going to miss talking to her. She was such a huge part of our community.”

Baldwin County Fair Manager A.B. "Sonny" Hankins

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — Longtime Robertsdale resident Mertis Teel Childress, a staple at the Baldwin County Fair, died Friday, Jan. 13 at the age of 98.

Born in Opp March 10, 1918, Childress moved to Baldwin County with her family, graduating from Robertsdale High School in May of 1937 and married farmer Guy “Duel” Childress in December that same year.

Over the years, she has belonged to various sewing groups, before started her own group, affectionately dubbed The Ole Ladies, making everything from quilts, to baby booties to dolls and everything in between.

She’s also known as a pretty good cook, baking goodies for families in the neighborhood.

Every year Childress and her husband would host an Easter Egg Hunt for children throughout the neighborhood and every Christmas, Childress makes divinity for families throughout the area, sometimes more than 100 batches in a season.

“We all called her ‘Wonder Woman,” because we were always wondering what she was going to do next,” said retired educator Evelyn Lowery, who helped Childress with many of her projects. “She always had three or four projects going at one time.”

But it is at the Baldwin County Fair where Childress has shined year-in, and year-out, producing bags full of ribbons of every color, mostly blue, for baking, canning, sewing and just about everything else.

“The first year we had a booth at the Fair, there was nothing but space on the floor,” said Childress in October 2016. The old Robertsdale Coliseum, located at the park on Palmer Street, was then under construction. “I’ve seen it grow from there to what it is now.”

The fair was moved to its new location on what was Berner Road, renamed Fairground Road, in 2007, a couple of months before the 38,000 square-foot Baldwin County Coliseum was finished.

“I call her the fair’s matriarch,” said Fair Manager A.B. “Sonny” Hankins. “She had a booth at the fair every year for 68 years and I could always count on her to help out when I needed someone to mentor a young person. I also sought her advice on numerous occasions for gardening and other things. I’m just going to miss talking to her. She was such a huge part of our community.”

According to the memorial program for Childress, she was affectionately called Aunt Mertis by both her family and community.

“Although she did not have any children of her own, she was actively involved in the lives of her nieces and nephews,” according to the memorial. “She would entertain her young nieces by giving them old pots and pans to play with outside. They would pretend to cook making mud pies from morning to dark.”

She worked part time at the M & F store in Robertsdale and was a lifelong member of the Robertsdale United Methodist Church, where she helped with many events, including weddings, showers and Vacation Bible School.

She was chosen as the “Featured Quilter” to highlight her quilts at the biannual quilt show in 2007, which is one of the church’s projects that benefit their mission work.

She belonged to many community organizations, including the Robertsdale Home Demonstration Club where she served as the Baldwin County president for several years. She was also head of the Women’s Auxiliary for the Sportsman’s Hunting Club and was active in the Rosinton Farmer’s Club. She participated in the annual dinner of the Robertsdale Livestock Auction.

She helped to organize Robertsdale’s annual Christmas parade which was held on the first Saturday morning in December.

She was a vital part in establishing The Ladies Tea Party which is held each year by the RHS Alumni Association. Over $20,000 has been raised for scholarships for RHS seniors. She was honored one year at the tea and was named Homecoming Queen complete with a crown and sash.

Childress received the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year in 1990 for her lifelong commitment of making her community a better place to live.

“She was very active in her community and her church and was always willing to go the extra mile to help others,” said Robertsdale Mayor Charles Murphy. “She always had a smile on her face and she will be truly missed by all who knew her.”

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents, Daniel Leamon and Dellie Harrison Teel; brother, Roy Teel; sister, Marjorie Teel Youngblood; and nephew, Danny Youngblood.

Survivors include nieces and nephews, Sandra Teel Clark, Nancy Teel Strube, Eddie, Paul, J. W., Tony, Pam Youngblood Lane, Robert and Terry Youngblood, along with numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held Monday, Jan. 16 at Mack Funeral Home. The family requests memorial donations be made to the Robertsdale High School Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1458, Robertsdale, AL 36567. A scholarship will be set up in her honor.