An elderly farmer in Geraldine, Alabama, used what little money he had to help neighbors, but did not want recognition.
Hody Childress’ family were unaware of his kind and quiet gestures until just before he died on January 1, the Daily Mail reported Thursday, adding the secret came out at his funeral once the local pharmacist revealed the true story to relatives.
Once a moth, Tania’s Nix’s father went to Geraldine Drugs to give $100 to the pharmacist to help community members with their medical bills.
Nix speculated it was because her mother, who suffered from multiple sclerosis before she died in 1999, also had medical bills and needed costly medicine. Her father, who was also an Air Force veteran, began his tradition in 2012.
A photo shows Nix standing next to her beloved father:
Pharmacist Brooke Walker recalled Childress telling her in the beginning not to tell anyone where the money came from, but “if they ask, just tell them it’s a blessing from the Lord.”
He continued the tradition for many years and the pharmacist kept the secret from everyone, noting she did not let his money go toward painkillers, but only antibiotics and life-sustaining medicines.
Walker said, “He was a man of modest means. Giving 100 dollars a month was quite a gesture. I knew that helping people was in his heart.”
On one occasion, the pharmacist used the money to help an abused woman restart her life.
According to Nix, her father revealed his secret when he became seriously ill with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a few months ago. He apparently asked her to carry on the tradition.
Now, the community in Geraldine is keeping the fund going.
“There are so many people in Geraldine who have lived longer because of Hody,” pharmacist Heather Walker said, adding, “Hody was a true humble servant who will always be loved.”
In a social media post Friday, Nix said, “My dad is right where he has been longing to go. He is missed daily.”