On Monday, April 25, 2016, Heaven gained an angel when Ernest Percy Felder Jr., 86, of Columbia, SC succumbed to his second battle with lung cancer. Ernest fought vigilantly over the last few years fighting prostate cancer, and two bouts of lung cancer. He never gave up and he always wanted to keep going until the Lord told him it was time.

He was born on December 21, 1929 in Orangeburg, SC to the late Ernest Percy Felder, Sr. and the late Gladys Antley Felder. The oldest son of a farming family in St. Matthews, SC he grew up helping on the farm owned by his maternal grandfather and the one owned by his own parents. He always put in extra time working odd jobs to help the family, even if that meant a few late night shifts shelling peanuts at the local peanut factory with his father. In 1946, he signed up to serve his country by joining the United States Army. He made his parents proud and did everything he could while in service to bring honor to his family's name. While on active duty, Ernest traveled to many different bases across the globe, including those in Germany and Korea. He also married and had five children then remarried after his first wife's tragic death in order to keep his family together. He retired in 1967 after more than 20 years in service as a Sargent First Class (E7) and made Columbia, SC his permanent home. Prior to and after his retirement from the military, he worked at Carolina Business Machines for close to 35 years, ultimately retiring from there when his second wife was sick and needed him to care for her. Throughout his life, and during his retirement, Ernest enjoyed the outdoors and took to camping and fishing at every opportunity he could.

Ernest is preceded in death by his first wife, Johnsie Peele Felder (d. April 1962), with whom he had five children, and is preceded in death by his second wife, Clara Long Felder (d. December 2002) who took on the role of raising Ernest's five children and keeping his family together, as he promised Johnsie he would do.

The oldest of five children himself, Ernest is preceded in death by his brother, Paul Alvin Felder, and his sisters, Faye Felder Hair and Patricia Felder Cooper. He is survived by his brother, Charles "Sonny" W. Felder of Pinehurst, TX and his sister, Dorothy "Dot" Felder Dempsey of Cordova, SC.

Also surviving are his children, Ernie Felder, Russell Peele, Ronnie Eugene Felder of Goosecreek, SC (spouse-Linda Bailey Felder), Katherine Marie Skinner of Blythewood, SC (spouse – Ronnie Skinner), James Ernie Felder of Hilliard, FL (spouse – Cathy Griffin Felder), Anthony Carl Felder of Columbia, SC (spouse- Katherine Felder), and Cynthia Ann Gordon of Ridgeway, SC (Spouse – Craig Gordon). Ernest also has 30 surviving grandchildren; 33 great grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandchild.

The funeral service for Mr. Felder will be held 12:30 o'clock, Friday, April 29th, at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext, Columbia. Burial will follow at Fort Jackson National Cemetery. The family will receive friends Thursday evening at the funeral home from 6 until 8 o'clock.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a charity of one's choice or the American Cancer Society, 128 Stonemark Lane, Columbia, SC 29210.

Though he may be gone, he will never be forgotten.