Benjamin Fleming (1834-1909)
Source: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Monongalia, Marion and Taylor Counties, West Virginia
Rush, West & Company, Publishers; Philadelphia, PA.; 1895
pages 44-45 (in the Taylor County section)
BENJAMIN FLEMING, a prosperous and intelligent farmer of Taylor county, West Virginia, is a son of Patrick and Margaret (McDonald) Fleming, and was born near the village of Flemington, Taylor county, West Virginia, November 2, 1834.
The family is one of the oldest in this part of the State. His great grandfather, James Fleming, came from Hampshire county, Virginia, and was one of the four pioneers to settle in the latter part of the seventeenth century in the vicinity of the present village of Flemington, which was named for the family. He died near the location of the West Virginia college. His son, James Fleming, grandfather, was born in Hampshire county and removed with his father to the vicinity of the present village of Flemington, and became the owner of a large tract of land upon which the village of Flemington now stands. He was a man of strong character and positive opinions on political, social, and religious subjects. Politically, he was an old-line whig, and served in his community for a number of years as a justice of the peace. His death occured in 1846, at the age of seventy-one years. He married Miss Elizabeth Welch, and they became the parents of ten children.
Patrick Fleming, father, was born at Flemington, in 1800, and died on December 14, 1872. Reared a farmer, he naturally turned to the pursuits of husbandry as a means of securing a livelihood. In his chosen craft he became prosperous and successful and added thereto the milling business, which avocation he pursued with profit and pecuniary success. He married Miss Margaret, a daughter of James McDonald, and they became the parents of eight children: Luranah, wife of Lemuel E. Davidson, of Flemington; James, of Flemington; William, died young; Mary, died young; Benjamin, subject; Sanford B., a farmer of Ritchie county, this State; Johnson, died young; Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of Chasteen Clerenger. Mrs. Margaret McDonald Fleming died March 13, 1859, and Mr. Fleming married, as his second helpmate, Mrs. Catherine Shepler, née Bartlett. Two children blessed this union: Claud, a farmer of near Flemington, West Virginia; Lucetta, wife of William Teter, of Harrison county. After obtaining a good rudimentary education, he took up farming, which he has followed with a more than ordinary degree of success ever since. He was located up to 1865 at Flemington, when he removed to his present farm near Webster. It contains two hundred and sixteen acres of well-improved land and every appearance of the same indicates the skill and management of the owner. In religious faith, Mr. Fleming is a Baptist, whilst in political matters he supports the cause of republicanism.
On October 6, 1857, he married Elizabeth, a daughter of Elijah Powell. To their marital alliance were born two children: Hayward, who is principal of the West Virginia college at Flemington, was born July 28, 1858, was graduated from the West Liberty State Normal school, of Ohio county, West Virginia, in the class of 1891. Immediately after his graduation he entered the West Virginia State University, at Morgantown, where he studied civil engineering three years. In the spring of 1894, he was tendered and accepted the position of principal of the West Virginia college at Flemington; and Webster P., born September 17, 1859, who is living with his father on the farm, has a good common school education, and is an industrious, successful farmer.
Find A Grave Memorial for Benjamin Fleming (1834-1909)
Find A Grave Memorial for Elizabeth C. Powell Fleming (1837-1921)
Return to the Transcribed Biographies Index