John Fleming Family Legacy — Robert Earl Wildermuth's Fleming narrative (c. 1998)

Transcribed verbatim from the thirteen-page typescript. Robert Earl’s spelling, punctuation and typing errors are preserved as he left them; obvious slips are flagged in square brackets only where they would otherwise mislead. Page numbers follow his own pencil numbering, which the attached photographs carry at the foot of each sheet. The document’s findings — and where they correct or conflict with this archive — are discussed on the artifact page.

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JOHN FLEMING FAMILY LEGACY — 6th Great-grandfather

Family tradition and the research of several Fleming family genealogists has it that the patriarch of the John Fleming line in America came originally to Cecil County, Maryland in 1712. He came from either Scotland or Ireland but he was of Scottish origin. John’s wife’s name was Jean but at this time her maiden name is unknown. When and where they were married is also unknown (something for some future family genealogist to discover). In 1714, they gave birth to their first son, John Jr. (the junior part is of my choosing for the sake of keeping all of the Johns straight). They were soon joined by sons and brothers James in 1716 and Samuel in 1718. (I have some reservations about the son named Samuel because John Sr. never mentioned him in his Will).

How long John Sr. stayed in Cecil County is unknown but in the years 1754, 1755 and 1756 he was listed on the tax rolls of Derry Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. (This part of Lancaster County is now Dauphin County). It is easy to understand John’s travel to Lancaster County by looking at the map. The Susquehanna River flows down from Pennsylvania and empties into Chessapeake Bay right at Cecil County and waterways were a main highway of travel.

Family tradition had John Sr.’s place of death as Derry, Pennsylvania. I had much research to do to locate Derry for I was looking for a town named Derry instead of a township. With the aid of a very helpful archivist in Chester County, Pennsylvania, I was able to find a copy of John’s Will by using his known death date. John’s will shows him to have been very successful in life for he left his children considerable amounts of money for that time period. The money was in English pounds sterling. John was a weaver by profession. Scottish woven fabrics were much wanted throughout Europe and that is one reason for a large emigration of Scots. The King of England had placed an embargo on Scottish woolens that demanded that all woven materials be sent to London where a pitifully small price was paid.

John and Jean Fleming had the following children:

John born in 1714. Married Anne White.
James born in 1716. Married Barbara Devilbliss
Samuel (?) born in 1718. Married Allice Charlton.
Margaret born (?). Married Thomas Ramsey
Mary born (?). Married George Murry
Elenor born (?). Married James Patton
Ann born (?). Unmarried at the time of her father’s Will.

John Fleming Senior died sometime in May 1777 for his Will was probated on 17 May 1777.

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ROBERT WHITE — 5th Great-grandfather

The other patriarch of our line of Flemings in America was Robert White, a prosperous tobacco grower of Prince Georges County, Province of Maryland. On 22 September 1709, Robert White married Anne Burgess in Ann Arundel County, Maryland. To this union were born the following children:

James born (?). Married
Burgess born (?). Married
Sarah born (?). Married ( ) Hawkes
Anne born (?). Married John Fleming Jr.
Catherine born (?). Married (?)

Robert White’s will was probated on 11 April 1769 indicating his death in early April.

JOHN FLEMING JR.

John Fleming Jr. (My designation). This John Fleming, son of John Fleming Sr. and Jean ( ? ) born in Cecil County, Maryland in 1714 shortly after his father came to America. John lived in Frederick County, Maryland (now Montgomery County) his entire life. He had a large plantation as well as some smaller farms located near a trading post known as Cabin John. His plantation was near what is now Washington, D.C. but there was no Washington D.C. then. He was a prosperous tobacco grower. Tobacco was such an important crop that it actually was used as money on the common market. John Jr. married Anne White, daughter of Robert and Ann (Burgess) White.

On 5 February 1777, a year after the Revolutionary War started, the province of Maryland passed a law known as the Act Of Assembly and it required all persons engaged in inter and intrastate trade and those desiring the right to vote to take an Oath of Fidelity and Support virtually pledging allegiance and loyalty to the province of Maryland and denouncing loyalty to the King of England. In 1778, John and his sons John III and James took that oath. This made them all sworn patriots and is the basis for all female descendents to become members of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

John and Ann (White) Fleming had the following children:

Margaret Fleming born (?) Married David Lowe
Ann Fleming born (?) Married Ninien Willet
Catherine Fleming born (?) Married Joseph Magruder
James Fleming born (?) Married Elizabeth Burgess
Robert White Fleming born (?) Married (?)
John Fleming III born c. 1744. Married Nancy Ann Hopkins

John Fleming Jr. is believed to have died on Christmas Day, 1796 at the advanced age of 82. His will was probated on 16 January 1797.

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JOHN FLEMING III — 4th Great-grandfather

John Fleming III (My designation) was born circa 1744 in what was then Frederick County, Maryland. He was the son of John and Ann (White) Fleming. On 20 November 1777, he married Nancy Ann Hopkins, daughter of John and Eleanor (Wallace) Hopkins. In 1781, the year that his son John IV was born, John, his father-in-law John Hopkins and several of the Wallaces and Whites moved to the Western frontier in Fallowfield Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Quite a move for a one year old son. John III and his father-in-law John Hopkins joined the 5th Battalion, Washington County Militia, commanded by Colonel Thomas Crooks. His company commander was Benjamin White. These men became Indian fighters on the frontier. Fallowfield Township was near Wheeling, West Virginia where there was a strong fort that commanded all river traffic on the Ohio River. The British wanted this fort very badly for it was a thorn in their sides.

Here the typescript continues for a further two-thirds of a page describing frontier warfare in Washington County — bounties paid for scalps, and one atrocity recounted at length. It is written in the idiom of the period he was describing rather than the period he was writing in, and it presents the Wyandotte solely as aggressors. This archive records that the passage exists, and what it documents about the militia service, but does not reproduce it. His own closing sentence gives the purpose: “This story is related to illustrate how savage these Indians were and to illustrate what kind of environment John Fleming had placed his young family.”

John and Nancy Ann had the following children:

Ann Fleming born circa 1779. Married John Frew
John Fleming IV born 11 Oct 1781. Married Clarissa Roe
Eleanor Fleming born (?) Married (?)
Robert White Fleming born (?) Married Nancy Crawford
Catherine Fleming born (?) Married (?)
Margaret Fleming born (?) Married (?)
Elizabeth Fleming born (?) Married ( ) Martindale

On 7 July 1829, John Fleming III died in Pike Run Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. His will was probated 10 August 1829.

JOHN HOPKINS — 5th Great-grandfather

John Hopkins (Father-in-law of John Fleming III.) John Came to Montgomery County, Maryland in about 1775. He came from Scotland. He married Eleanor Wallace, daughter of James Wallace. To this

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union was born the following children:

Herbert Hopkins
William Hopkins
Richard Hopkins believed killed by the Indians.
Alexander Hopkins
James Hopkins
John Hopkins
Nancy Ann Hopkins born (?) Married John Fleming III

John Hopkins died circa 1796.

JOHN FLEMING IV — 3rd Great-grandfather

John Fleming IV (My designation) was born in Montgomery County, Maryland on 11 October 1781. He was raised to adulthood in Washington County, Pennsylvani. He married Clarissa Roe, daughter of John and Susannah (Meeks) Roe on 20 January 1803. These two were married in the Eastern District of Harrison County, Virginia (now Taylor County, West Virginia). John Fleming was an assistant surveyor for his cousin James Fleming who was an officer in the Revolutionary War. This surveying experience enabled John IV to aquire many acres of land and in his latter days he was known as a land baron.

In about 1838, Clarissa died and John sold his farm in Eastern Harrison County to his two sons, John V. and Patrick and moved to the Western District of Harrison County, Virginia (now Doddridge County, West Virginia. John’s eldest son Lewis was an early settler in this area. In 1858, John took as his second wife, Susannah Prunty kin to the settlers of Prunty Town, Taylor County, West Virginia.

John and Clarissa had the following children:

Elizabeth Fleming born 1 Jan 1804. Married Zachariah Constable
Nancy Ann Fleming born 1805; married Samuel Smith
Lewis B. Fleming born 1807; married Synthia Bailey
*James Fleming born 1810; married Francis Dotson
*John Fleming born 23 Nov 1813; married Mary A. Fleming
Patrick Fleming born 23 Nov 1813; married Harriet Lake
Edward Fleming born 2 Jul 1817; married Mary Turner
Susannah Agnes Fleming born 10 Sep 1820; married Adam J. Gain
Thomas Fleming born 4 Aug 1823; married Cassandra Tucker
Clarissa Fleming born 4 Aug 1823; married Levi Harper
Eli B. Fleming born 28 Feb 1831; married Elmira Anna Kinney
Sarah Fleming born 10 Jun 1834; married Capt. Oliver Dotson

John Fleming IV. died at his farm on Arnold’s Creek, about 6 miles west of West Union, Virginia (now West Virginia) on 3 November 1853.

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JOHN ROE — 4th Great-grandfather

John Roe, father-in-law) of John Fleming IV. was born in Morris County, New Jersey circa 1760. In 1779, he enlisted in the Revolutionary Army and stayed for the duration. He was a member of Captain Richard Cox’s Company, in Colonel Dayton’s Third New Jersey Regiment. While bivouaced near the British lines in Westfield, Essex County, New Jersey, John met and married Miss Susannah Meeks on 27 March 1779. She stayed behind to care for her invalid mother while John went off to fight the British. John fought in the battle at Springfield, New Jersey and was in the command of the Marquis de Lafayette at the battle of Jamestown, Virginia where the British General Cornwallis surrendered ending the Revolutionary War. A new nation was born.

John returned to his wife in Westfield where they lived until the spring of 1784 when they moved to New York City. They stayed in New York City until 1790 when they moved to the Western Frontier in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Fayette County is diagonally across the wide State of Pennsylvania and John and his family of three young children under the age of 8 and a pregnant wife journied that long, tortous route through the forests and over the Allegheny Mountains.

John and Susannah’s family consisted of:

Clarissa Roe born 18 June 1782; married John Fleming IV.
Lewis Roe born 23 August 1784; married (?)
Elizabeth Roe born 7 April 1788; married (?)
Edward Roe born 18 May 1791; married (?)
John Roe born 6 February 1794; married (?)
James Roe born 1 February 1797; married (?)

John Roe died 29 September 1829 in the Eastern District of Harrison County, Virginia (now Taylor County West Virginia).

LEWIS FLEMING — 2nd Great-grandfather

Lewis Fleming represents a break in the long line of first born males named John. For a long time, I was perplexed by this for the Scottish custom was always to name the first born male John. After finding John Roe’s family it’s easy to understand how it came about for John and Clarissa named their children after Clarissa’s brothers and sisters. Guess who “wore the pants” in that family when it came to naming children.

Not much is known about Lewis Fleming. He left few civil records. He was born circa 1807 on his father’s farm on Simpson’s Creek in the eastern sector of Harrison County, Virginia (now Taylor County, West Virginia). In 1827, Lewis gained his father’s permission to marry Synthia Bailey, daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Bartlett) Bailey. In a note to the “Clearke” of Harrison County, John Fleming wrote the following: “This is to certify that I, John Fleming have nothing against my son giting married, going from under my house this 14 day 1827 in the year of our Lord. Mr. John Fleming”. Shortly thereafter, Lewis gained the permission of Synthia’s father, Thomas Bailey, Lewis and Synthia were married 14 March 1827.

Soon after marriage, Lewis and Synthia traveled west and 6 miles

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from the present-day city of West Union, West Virginia, they put down roots on Arnold’s Creek. Lewis amassed several hundred acres and was a successful farmer. In 1860, Lewis sold his property, moved back to Taylor County and the 1860 census lists his occupation as “gentleman”. This was the term used to indicate retired.

Lewis and Synthis had the following children:

Thomas Bailey Fleming born 1830; married Martha Turner
Nancy Fleming born 1835; married (?)
Mary A. Fleming born 1842; married (?)
Lewis Simpson Fleming born 1845; married Susan J. Rollins

Shortly after Lewis S’ Fleming’s birth, Synthia died and Lewis married Mary Lake and adopted her three children, Granville, Martha and William.

Notes from other family genealogists list Lewis’ death as occuring in 1862.

THOMAS BAILEY — 3rd Great-grandfather

Thomas Bailey born 1830 [sic — impossible; he married in 1803] came to the Eastern Sector of Harrison County at a very early date. The Baileys are a long established family in Virginia/West Virginia. A Thomas Bailey was a General in the Continental Army but his possible relationship to this Thomas Bailey has not been researched. On 20 October 1803, Thomas married Sarah Bartlett [sic — Nancy; see below and page 7], daughter of Thomas Bartlett. At the Taylor County Court house in Grafton West Virginia, there is a file in chancery box 2 concerning a lawsuit “Bailey vs. Bailey. This may give additional information on this family. Thomas Bailey, a third great-grandfather was Lewis Fleming’s father-in-law.

Thomas and his wife, Nancy Bartlett had the following childeren:

Thornberry Bailey Jr. born Aug 1804; married Bathsheba Pell
Sarah Bailey born (?) married William Vannory
Elizabeth Bailey born (?); married Dempsey Welch
Synthia Bailey born (?); married Lewis Fleming
James Bailey born (?); married (?)

J.B.Y. BAILEY — 4th Great-grandfather

J.B.Y. Bailey was born 26 May 1732. He married Hannah Thornberry. Hannah was born in 1728 and died in 1831 at the advanced age of 103. These two are the parents of Thomas Bailey thus they are 4th great-grandparents. More research needs to be done here.

J.B.Y. Bailey and Sarah Bartlett [sic — Hannah Thornberry] had the following children:

Thomas Bailey born (?) married Nancy Bartlett
Thornberry Bailey born (?) married Mary Polly Bartlett
Others (?)

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THOMAS BARTLETT — 4th Great-grandfather

Thomas Bartlett, father of Nancy Bartlett and a 4th great-grandfather, came to Western Virginia shortly after the Revolutionary War. He was among the early pioneers west of the Allegheny Mountains. He settled in the “Glades” Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia)). Thomas married Sarah ( ) and to this union came the following children:

Nancy Bartlett born (?) married Thomas Bailey
Elizabeth Bartlett born (?) married David Cleavenger
Catherine Bartlett born (?) married Job Wolverton
Edith Bartlett born (?) married ( ) Hopkins
Mary Polly Bartlett born (?) married Thornberry Bailey
Sarah Bartlett born (?) married George Brown
Starling Bartlett born (?) married (?)
Charlotte Bartlett born (?) married John Maulsby
Amelia Bartlett born (?) married John Maulsby after her sister Charlotte’s death
Benjamin Bartlett born (?) married (?)
William Bartlett born (?) married (?)
Elijah Bartlett born (?) married (?)
Thomas L. Bartlett born (?) married (?)

*Note: The Bartletts and the Baileys left many family records and more can be learned of these families in a book “Bailey Genealogy” in the History and Genealogical Library, Clarksburg, West Virginia.

THOMAS BAILEY FLEMING — 1st Great-grandfather

Thomas Bailey Fleming, son of Lewis Fleming and a 1st great-grandfather was born in the Eastern Sector of Harrison County, Virginia (now Taylor County, West Virginia. His birth was in February 1830. Thomas married Martha Turner on 28 August 1851. He and his family spent most of their lives on Arnold’s Creek in what is now Doddridge County. The 1880 census shows Thomas and Martha and 8 of their 10 children living in the Parkersburg District of Wood County, West Virginia.

Thomas and Martha had the following children:

Margaret V. Fleming born 15 February 1854; married John Glover
James Wesley Fleming born 20 Dec 1857 married Verona Dunbar
Cynthia E. Fleming born 1858; married (?)
Lewis M. Fleming born 1863; married (?)
Ulyses Grant Fleming born 1864; married (?)
John E. Fleming born 26 Oct 1866; married Bessie M. (?)
Levennia Fleming born 20 October 1968 [sic — 1868]; married (?)
Floyd B. Fleming born 1 October 1870; married (?)
Charles M. Fleming born 5 November 1872; married (?)
Elizabeth Fleming born (?); married (?)

No death record could be found for Thomas Fleming but Martha’s record shows that she died of (old age) on 11 June 1903.

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VERONA BELLE KELLEY/DUNBAR/SHEPPARD — Grandmother

Verona Belle was born out of wedlock to Martha Kelly. She was born 14 June 1869. The father was Seth Dunbar. Martha Kelley had left her home in Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia) and along with her younger sister, Rebecca, had gone west to Wood County, Virginia to live with her sister Deborah. After Verona’s birth, Martha left her with her sister’s family, Levi and Deborah (Kelley) Sheppard. Verona was adopted by this family and raised in their home in Wood County, Virginia (now West Virginia). All of Verona’s adult life was spent in hard labor cleaning other peoples homes. It was necessary for her to do this in order to bring some hard cash into the family to buy flour, material and shoes for her children. Verona was an obese person and she died on 27 October 1922 at the early age of 52 as she climbed the steps of the Washington County Court House in Marietta, Ohio.

MARTHA KELLEY — 1st Great-grandmother

Martha Kelley (Kelly) was the daughter of Johnson and Sarah (Yoke) Kelly, She was born in Harrison County, Virginia (West Virginia) in 1844. The 1860 census shows her as a domestic in the Patrick Fleming household in what is now Taylor Cpunty, West Virginia. The 1870 census lists her as living in Wood County, West Virginia, She was living with her sister Deborah and Deborah’s husband Levi Sheppard. At this time, she had a 1 year old baby girl, Verona Belle. Martha vanished after the 1870 census. She had gone to Wood County, Virginia (West Virginia) with her sister Rebecca who I was able to locate in a later census back in Taylor County. Martha may have married and thus her last name would have changed making it more difficult to find her. Levi and Deborah (Kelly) Shepard are said to have adopted Verona Belle.

JOHNSON KELLEY — 2nd Great-grandfather

JOHNSON KELLY: Father of Martha Kelly was born 25 July 1810 in Meadowville, Randolph County, Virginia (West Virginia). He was the youngest of ten children born to Ebenezer and Rachel (Johnson) Kelley. On 17 January 1830, Johnson married Sarah Yoke in Randolph County. Note: In 1843, Harrison County, Randolph County and Lewis County were partitioned to form Barber County and it is in Barber County where I first found Johnson Kelley in the 1850 census. He was listed as a widower with ten children (8 girls and two

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boys). His last two daughters were twins California and Rebecca. At this time he was a farmer but he later became a skilled shoe maker and elevated to a boot maker.

To Johnson and his wife Sarah (Yoke) Kelley were born the following children:

Deborah Ann Kelly born 1831; married Levi Sheppard
Wesley Kelly born 1832
Melvina Kelly born 1833; married James Garrett
Amanda Kelly born 1835
Almira Kelly born 1838
Iseah Kelly born 1840
Hester Ann Kelly born 1842
Martha Kelly born 1844 and mother of Verona Belle
California Kelly born 1847
Rebecca Kelly born 1847
Jacob L. Kelly born 1852; married Hannah (?)

EBENEZER T. KELLEY — 3rd Great-grandfather

EBENEZER T. KELLEY: Father of Johnson Kelley was born on 2 October 1763 in Somerset County, New Jersey. On 2 December 1790 in Allegheny County, Maryland he married Rachel Johnson. Rachel was born on 22 October 1769 in New Jersey. These two raised a large family and a couple of sons distinguished themselves in the War of 1812. More research in 1812 war records would bring these two sons’ exploits to light.

Ebenezer and Rachel (Johnson) Kelly had the following children:

Mary Kelley born 15 January 1792
Eunice Kelley born 17 September 1793
* Isaac Kelley born 20 February 1796
* John L. Kelley born 20 February 1796
Rebecca Kelley born 8 June 1798
Osa Kelley born 25 March 1800
Hannah Kelley born 8 June 1802
Samuel Kelley born 9 September 1804
Jane Kelley born 3 August 1807
Johnson Kelley born 25 July 1810

SAMUEL KELLEY — 4th Great-grandfather

SAMUEL KELLEY father of Ebenezer Kelley was born in Somerset County, New Jersey. He married Eunice (?). The Kelley families left very good records and more could be done on researching this family.

ROBERT JOHNSON — 3rd Great-grandfather

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ROBERT JOHNSON father of Rachel Johnson married Mary (?) in Somerset County, New Jersey and they had the following children:

John G. Johnson born in Somerset County, New Jersey and in 1805 he married Elizabeth Poling.
William Johnson born in Somerset County, New Jersey and married Catherine Hovatter
Levi Johnson born in Somerset County, New Jersey and married Rebecca Cross.
Robert Johnson Jr. born in Somerset County, New Jersey and married Elizabeth Hoffman
Rachel Johnson born in Somerset County, New Jersey on 22 October 1769 and married Ebenezer T. Kelley on 2 December 1790.
Rebecca Johnson born in Somerset County, New Jersey and married William Hoff

JAMES WESLEY FLEMING — Grandfather

JAMES WESLEY FLEMING, the son of Thomas and Martha (Turner) Fleming was born in Arnold’s Creek in what is now Doddridge County, West, Virginia about five miles west of the town of West Union. He was born on 20 December 1857. On the 7th of October 1885, he married Verona Belle Kelley/Dunbar/Sheppard. They were married in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia. James Fleming was a man born out of his time period. The industrial Revolution was in full swing and all James knew was farming. He was poor and for most of his life he worked as a share-cropper. This was fine for supplying his large family with food but brought no hard cash into the family for everyday family needs. Industry finally caught up to him in about 1910 when he moved his family across the Ohio River into Marietta, Ohio. He went to work for one of Marietta’s largest employers, the Marietta Chair Factory. He was given the job of dipping the chairs into a large staining vat. Shortly thereafter, he complained that the fumes from the paint vat was causing him to go blind and he quit his job and went back to sharecropping.

To James and Verona Belle were born the following children:

Walter George Fleming born July 1885; married Shirley Kerr
Della Deborah Fleming born 1888; married Elmer Obney
Lenora Fleming born 3 April 1890; married Ogden Eagle
Mary Fleming born May 1892
Howard Fleming born 24 November; married Edna Smith
Frank Fleming born May 1897; married Teresa Fritz
May Fleming born November 1899
Sadie Irene Fleming born 15 July 1901; married Earl Adam Wildermuth
*Etha May Fleming born 22 April 1904; married George Becker
*Diatha Faye Fleming born 22 April 1904; married Hugh Walker.

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Belle Fleming born 19 May 1905
Genevieve Fleming born (?)
Laverna Fleming born 4 March 1907; married Edward Raison
Grace Fleming born 1911

James Wesley Fleming died in the Washington County Home for Men just outside Marietta, Ohio on 2 October 1940 at the grand old age of 83. At the time of his death, noone knew who his father and mother were, when or where he was born nor his age. I’ve always felt that this was wrong for everybody should have a heritage and people should know the contributions each of us make while on earth. This factor has been one of my driving forces to pursue this 20 year search for my ancestors. No man who walked this earth and helped build this great country should leave this world without his descendents knowing where he came from and when and what his contributions were. My other compelling force was to find out where my Great-grandfather Johann Christian Wildermuth came from. All that was known was that he came to Philadelphia (WRONG) from Germany. I have written an outlinr of the Wildermuth line to go with this.

SADYE IRENE FLEMING — Mother

Sayde Fleming born on 15 July 1901 in a dirt floor log cabin near St. Mary, Wood County, West Virginia. On 31 December 1922, she married Earl Adam Wildermuth in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio. Sadye was the only child of James Wesley Fleming’s family to go past the 8th grade in school. She finished the 11th grade and then went to a business college in Marietta and worked as a legal secretary in a Judge Fleming’s office in Marietta. Sadye was raised along the Ohio River and she loved water even though she never learned to swim. From her father she also loved the land and she planted her little yard garden every year. She loved flowers and could grow plants that most people had trouble growing. She dearly loved her children and never left the household to wwork again.

Her marriage to Earl Wildermuth brought the following children:

Ruth Irene Wildermuth born 29 April 1922; married Jack Ridenour of Newark, Ohio.
Robert Earl Wildermuth born 8 May 1924; Married Dorothy Marie Davis.
Carl Edward Wildermuth born 5 July 1928; married Catherine DE BONA
Norma Jean Wildermuth born 14 Sepiember 1930; married Algie Gault
Betty Joan Wildermuth born 17 July 1935; Married Joseph Haddox.

Sadye Fleming Wildermuth died on 4 August 1976 in the Memorial Hospital in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio.

EARL ADAM WILDERMUTH — Father

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Earl Wildermuth was the son of William and Flora (Schlicker) Wildermuth. He was thus a full blooded German even though he could not speak the language. He was born in Marietta, Ohio on 6 October 1899 and spent most of his life there. For more on this fine family man, one should refer to the Wildermuth family heritage.

FLEMING FABLES

LAVERNA FLEMING RAISON, Daughter of James and Verona Fleming relates about her life in the log cabin on the Ohio River near St. Mary’s, Wood County, West Virginia. She tells that at her birth, her mother told her older brother, Walter, to go “fetch” the midwife. She told him to “bundle up” against the cold March wind. He picked up his cap that was lying on the wood pile next to the fireplace and a snake popped out.

Laverna tells us about the time she lived in Churchtown just west of Marietta. At that time, her mother who was pregnant fell down the “spring house” steps causing a premature birth of baby Grace. Being premature caused Grace to be very frail and she could only thrive on boiled water and “separated milk” (whey). While baby Grace was still quite young, Laverna contracted scarlett fever which swept the close knit family. Baby Grace caught the fever and died.

CYNTHIA FLEMING, the daughter of Thomas and Martha Fleming left home at a fairly early age and went to St. Louis, Missouri. She made periodic visits back home and always tried to entice her young nieces to go back to St. Louis with her. None would. On one such visit, she talked her cousin Josephine Fleming’s brother into going with her. He lived in St. Louis for about two years when one day at work he fell into a huge vat that he was cleaning and broke both arms and a leg. He ultimately died of these injuries.

Cynthia over the years had grown quite wealthy in the “boarding house” business and it is said that at the time of her death she owned a whole “city block” in St. Louis. Upon her death, she left her property and wealth to the Catholic Church.

ULYSES GRANT FLEMING, the son of Thomas and Martha Fleming was indeed a rogue. When his mother died, he refused to go to the cemetery and remained at the family home. While the funeral was underway, Ulyses loaded all of the household furniture into a qagon and rode off never to be heard from again, While on a field trip in 1987 to Atlanta, Georgia and while cleaning up old cemeteries as a project, Susan Raison, daughter of Laverna Fleming Raison came upon a tombstone with the name Ulyses Fleming engraved upon it. (?)

JOSEPHINE FLEMING COX, daughter of John Ellsworth Fleming, my mother’s uncle tells of her visits to aunt Verona’s gouse which was just over the hill from her father’s farm. First a little on Josephine. In one of my many genealogical visits, I visited the old Fleming family grave yard, Burnt Hill, just east of

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Williamstown, Wood County, West Virginia. Not finding any marked tombstones, I went into the little church on the cemetery grounds and found a Visitor’s Book. It listed the names and addresses of those who had visited the cemetery. I copied several names one of which was Josephines. She gave her address as San Jose, California. I wrote to her and in a few weeks I received a letter from Merritt Island, Florida a town about 50 miles from my home in Casselberry, Florida. It was from Josephine. She was living with her daughter and son-in-law who was in the Space Industry and who had just been transferred from San Jose to Cape Canaveral. I scheduled a visit with Josephine who as it turmed out was 83 years old but looked in her 50’s. She had been a schoo; teacher all of her life and her mind was sharp as a 30 year old. With my tape recorder going, we had about a three hour reminiscing session. She said if we were up in West Virginia she could take right to my mother’s old cabin. She said she and her young brothers and sisters really liked to go over and visit Aunt Verona. Josephine’s father was a strict disciplinarian and run his family much like a Quaker family. “No more talking; no more fun; no more chewing chewing gum etc. At Aunt Veronas all of the kids , though obedient, did whatever they pleased. They went barefooted, took lunches down to the Ohio River bank, built bon fires and were free spirits.

She told how the girls would all climb into an old john boat and how the boys from both families would push them way out in the Ohio River and then with a rope they’d tow them in. On one such time, she and all of her female Fleming cousins, including my mother, put their names and a message telling the finder to get in touch with them. They then threw the bottles in the Ohio River. A short time later a young man came calling. He was from Parkersburg, West Virginia about 25 miles down river from where the bottles were released. He became a suitor to my Aunt Lenora and they were later married.

LAVERNA FLEMING. Laverna tells of an epidemic typhoid fever thay swept the James Fleming famiky. One hot summer day Verona Belle and her young daughter May were out in their garden watering and weeding their tomato plants. They were using water from a nearby stream and little May was taking a canful of water for each plant. In the hot sun, May became thirsty and drank from her can. She contracted typhoid fever and died within a few days. The typhoid lived on however and all members pf the family came down sick’ It affected Laverna’s vocal cords and through out her life she had a husky, raspy voice.

This illustrates what was brought out at a genealogy seminar that I attended. The guest speaker was a genealogist and a medical doctor. He had made a study of the causes of death among our ancestors of yje late 18th and early 19th centuries. When asked what was the greatest caose of death of these sturdy pioneers, his response was “FILTH”. No fresh running water, many times no soap and few baths. A farmer would come in from the dusty fields and pull up a chair and eat his dinner without washing.

End of the typescript as photographed. Thirteen pages, hand-numbered in pencil. Discussion of what it establishes, corrects and conflicts with is on the artifact page.