Voices Of The Faithful: Martha (Darlin’) Fleming

Martha (Darlin’) Fleming

Darlin’s children came together and wrote this piece.   It is a collaborative love tapestry woven by those who knew her best and now carry on the legacy of grace she left behind.

Martha (Darlin’) Fleming Died in 2003.  She was married to Walton Fleming for 59 years and had 7 children: Gay Parker, Sally Walker, Pete Fleming, Diane Hall, Pricilla Sparks, Aaron Fleming and the late Mary Jane Gannon.  AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF GRANDCHILDREN!

The first thing we would like to say is Mother never wanted recognition for anything she did.  She would probably roll over in her grave if she knew this article was being written about her.  She can fuss when we get to Heaven.

Through the years, we have heard people talk about our precious Mother and Grandmother.  We had no idea just how many hearts had been touched by her modest witness in words and deeds.  As long as she was alive and cognizant, there was a spontaneous desire to share with others all the things with which God had blessed her.  One person comes to my mind, Rita Coker.  She attended Rita’s Bible Study every Tuesday.  She had an insatiable hunger to know more and more about the Bible.  She finally reached a point where her health did not permit her to attend the class.  After her Tuesday Class, Rita went by Momma’s and shared the Bible Study with her.  Then one day, Rita said the phone rang and it was Momma saying that it was time to stop her visit. She could no longer comprehend what she was saying.  It was a true blessing while it lasted.

One thing you could count on was the sight of children, friends, animals, cousins, and more children gathered around 3607 Whitesburg Drive to play.  This was where Momma ruled the roost, (so Daddy said) but we all knew better.  He ruled, but she still did whatever she wanted to!  He would just laugh at her, most of the time!

At one time, Mother enjoyed having things money could buy.  However, as her walk with God grew deeper, “things” ceased to matter to her.  Down in her heart, she felt God had given her so much, when others had so little.  Momma always had a heart for others, with emphasis on underprivileged, no matter color or race.  Mother loved all little children.  Like the song says, “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in HIS (or her) sight! Jesus loves the little children of the world!”  NO COLOR BARRIER THERE!  Mother had so much compassion for the poor.  She humbly served others because Jesus said, “As much as you do it for one of these, you do it for Me.”  It was like, “Here I am, Jesus.  Use me!  Use me to help others.”  And HE DID!  Mother would say, “‘The humble in spirit will retain honor.’ It’s in the Bible somewhere!”

Momma became great friends with Chessie and George Harris.  She loved that they were taking children into their home that had no place to go.  Miss Chessie told me once that the home was flat broke.  So they loaded up the children in their van and headed to Momma and Daddy’s house.  This happened to be Mother’s Day.  They got out of the van and started singing for Mother and Daddy.  Miss Chessie knew that would get her a check!

Momma helped start a free milk program at school, which later led to free lunches.  She always said that a child cannot learn if they are hungry.  At one point, she had people save their old newspapers and she would go around once a month in Daddy’s truck, with a worker, and pick up these papers to recycle and get money to help people.

All seven children and some of the grandchildren have been with Momma at some time when she was in the roughest and poorest parts of town.  We helped her give out clothes, shoes, and food out of her station wagon.  If she didn’t have shoes to fit a child, she would have them stand on a piece of paper.  Then she would get down on her knees  and trace their little feet, then go get them shoes.  My Brother told me that when was growing up, he would hear Momma crying when she felt the needs of the poor that could no be met.  Momma was teaching us to care and serve!

We used to laugh that it drove Daddy crazy when she gave so much away.  But deep down, he was a “giver” too.  He learned from Mother that you can’t out give God.  Most of her gifts were done anonymously.  Only Heaven will reveal her crowns!  Rather than investing in buildings, the arts,etc..which are all worthy things, she chose to invest in eternal values.

In some of the later years, Mother had what she would call her clothes closet.  This was a pool table in her playroom.  Friends would bring outgrown clothes and put them the pool table.  Mother would sort them and give them away.

During the years this was going on, Mother wanted to bring a new non-denominational Christian High School Club to Huntsville called YOUNG LIFE.  A young man named Nab Hayden, who had played quarterback at Alabama under Coach Bryant, agreed to come and lead this group.  However, he needed a place to stay for a while.  Momma agreed to put him up in the playroom.  At that time, there were no clothes on the pool table closet, so Neb used this for his closet.  (You know what’s coming, don’t you?) Mother, thinking someone had brought clothes, gave ALL of Neb’s clothes away except for what was on his back.  Neb made out like a bandit.

A lot of people thought Momma was a prude.  Far from it, my friends.  She pulled pranks on everybody.  She just didn’t like smut.  She didn’t drink or smoke.  She wouldn’t tell a lie.  But being with her was great fun!  She hated lying which leads me to a funny story about her.

Mother, Daddy and Uncle Charlie Crute owned some theaters in Huntsville.  How they made any money I don’t know!  They let so many people, along with their families. in free.  Momma would take children by the car load.  All the police and firemen got in free along with their families.  Patrol boys all got in free on Fridays if they wore their patrol belts.  All if us kids were letting our friends in the back door.  This was not a “money maker”.  One day there were a bunch of sisters and brothers in the car with Daddy and Momma.  Daddy was speeding.  Momma kept telling him to slow down or he was going to get a ticket.  She told him 3 different times to slow down and he just brushed her off.  From back of the station wagon, this little voice said, “Daddy, someone is waving at me.” It was the Highway Patrol.  As the officer was standing at Daddy’s window looking at his license, he said, “Mr. Fleming, did you know you were speeding?”

(first lie) “No, sir, Officer, I didn’t realize it!  (second lie) I have my children in the car and just didn’t know I was speeding!  Wouldn’t do anything to hurt my children.”

(third lie)  “I really didn’t realize I was speeding sir.”  With that, Momma had had enough of the lying, so she leaned around Daddy and said, “Yes, he did know. Yes, he did, Officer! He knew.  I told him 3 different times to slow down, and he didn’t!”  The officer said, “Mr. Fleming, I’m just giving you a warning this time.  I can’t give you a ticket because I’ve been going to the “picture show” on you for a long time.”  This was not one of the “most of the times” that I was talking about earlier.

One of Momma’s greatest joys was sharing Jesus.  She would get involved in anything that had to do with children hearing about Jesus.  She participated in a ministry called Back Yard Bible Studies.  In the summer, they would go into the projects or neighborhoods and have a Bible Study with the kids.  This led to her helping with the Mailbox Club which kids loved.  She would send out Bible Studies for them to read and answer questions about the stories then send it back to momma.  She would grade them, put gold stars on the papers and send them back with a new self-addressed Bible Study.  They loved it!  Everyone got a gold star.  Some may have just scribbled an answer, but they got a gold star.  She reached so many children.  Hundreds.  She truly believed that Jesus loves the little children.  That was Momma sharing Jesus. The love of her life!

When we were young Momma would go around to the different bedrooms at night and read Bible stories and pray with us.  When we had company, they were in the mix too.  Company loved it as much as we did.  She did the same with her grandchildren and their friends and I’m sure she would have done it with the greats if she had been well.

To us Momma had a little saintly side to her but she also had that real human side with a temper, which on occasion overpowered this saintly nature.  Mother had a great sense of humor too, as long as it was clean.  Although her life was centered around Christ, those of us who know Him understand that Jesus has a great sense of humor.  This was reflected in our mother.

One summer mother started taking black children along with some of her grandchildren to the city pool 2 or 3 times a week.  The pool was open to all, so it wasn’t a problem.  Then she decided the YMCA was closer to where they lived, so she took them there to swim.  The YMCA was fine with this but some folks weren’t.  She got nasty phone calls about this.  Her answer to these callers, “Hey, black children get as hot as white children.  They like to swim as much as white children.”   She was willing to take the criticism for what she thought was right.  That was our precious mother.

You see friends, our momma was totally sold out for Jesus.  She wanted everyone to know who she served and why she cared.  When she got to Heaven those pearly gates opened wide and Jesus was standing there saying, “Well done Martha, my good and faithful servant, come on in.”  And she did.

Tags: faith, Huntsville, Our City On A Hill, Voices of the faithful