Clara Fleming

Memorial services are scheduled at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 14, at Terpening Son Chapel for Clara Mae Fleming, 807 Dallas Ave., Artesia, New Mexico. Mrs. Fleming, 94, died Monday, February 12, 2007 in Roswell, New Mexico. Rev. Rick Sullivan will officiate at the services. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Terpening Son Mortuary. Mrs. Fleming was born February 25, 1912 at the Fite family farm in Hope, New Mexico; the daughter of Flennoy Elgar Fite and Ethel Ernestine Newman Fite. On July 13, 1929 she was married to W.E. Jelly Fleming, Sr. in Hope. She came to Artesia in 1936 from Pinon, NM. He preceded her in death June 1, 1987. She worked for JC Penney for many years running their Ready-To-Wear ladies and childrens clothing department, then later independently doing alterations and sewing for townspeople for several years. She graduated from Artesia High School alongside her husband Jelly in May of 1929. She also attended the Stamps-Baxter School of Music in Dallas, Texas with her husband early on in their marriage. She enjoyed playing piano for personal enjoyment and for some of the smaller area churches including Lake Arthur Methodist Church. Planting and tending all of the trees, bushes, and flowers she and her husband had planted in their yards. Sewing and quilting, canning fruits and vegetables she grew in her own gardens. Reading paperback novels of old westerns, writing poetry and teaching Sunday School to young kids. Hunting rocks and arrowheads and doing lapidary work with stones she and her husband brought home, working tin, leather and wood. Painting, dumpster
ing, raising black and tan hound dogs, shelling and selling pecans. When she was able, she enjoyed traveling to visit relatives and friends far from the Pecos. She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and one sister, and her only son Bill Fleming. Survivors include daughter-in-law Rita Fleming Simons; grandson Rusty Fleming; granddaughter Beverly Fleming; 3 Great-grandchildren William LaBronc Fleming, Jackson Colter Fleming, and Eric Robichaux; 4 grandnieces Idell Conaway, Dannelle Salmen, Shirley Petrie and Tenna Merle Daliposon; grandnephew Jim Windsor; and a number of other very dear cousins and friends.