Earl Dwight Fleming
Earl Dwight Fleming, 89, of Butler went to be with the Lord on Wednesday at Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
He was born Feb. 8, 1930, in Concord Township, and was the son of the late Cecil Dwight and the late Myrtle (Bell) Fleming.
Earl had one older brother and three younger sisters. He grew up on the Fleming family farm, originally purchased in 1836 by his great-great-grandfather, Thomas Fleming. Before that, the land was awarded to a Revolutionary War hero by President George Washington.
On Earl's mother's side, his great-great-grandmother, Martha Dye, was the daughter of Richard Franklin, a relative of Benjamin Franklin.
After graduating from Concord Township High School in Hooker, Pa., he spent the summer after graduation with two high school friends, traveling around the country, west of the Mississippi from Kansas to California, working on farms for room and board and some money to send home. He had many pleasant memories of that summer.
He then went to work for Armco Steel Works in Butler. After being there for a year, he enlisted and served in the U.S. Air Force. This was during the Korean War. He traveled from base to base in the United States as an electronic specialist and trained the mechanics and pilots who worked on and flew the F-86 Sabre fighter jets. During that time, he met his future bride, Jolene J. Brown, while stationed near Phoenix, Ariz. They married in May of 1953.
He returned to Butler and rejoined Armco Steel Works. He was a journeyman in the electrical department, then went to the safety department and was part of that department for many years. He took great pride that while he was there, the company earned recognition for several Iron Man safety awards. After that, he was in the training department and was an instructor in mill operations. He worked there until his retirement in 1992.
Earl was one of the founding members of Westminster Church PCA of Butler, where he was last a member. He went on several missionary trips within the United States and helped sponsor several missionaries abroad.
He was active in Habitat for Humanity and helped build or remodel several homes here and around the country for those in need.
Earl is survived by his daughter, Catherine Alvord of Locke, N.Y.; his sons, William (Alice) Fleming of West Sunbury, Thomas (Janet) Fleming of Butler, Brian (Anne) Fleming of Woodbury Heights, N.J., and Andrew Fleming of Butler; 16 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; his sisters, Shirley (Larry) Mattox of Lancaster, Ohio, and Phyllis (David) Moon of Greenville, Pa.
Earl was preceded in death by his father, Cecil Dwight Fleming; his mother, Myrtle Fleming; his wife of 51 years, Jolene Fleming; his brother, Edward Fleming; his sister, Imogene Elson; a son-in-law, Kenneth Alvord; and a grandson, Joseph Alvord.
FLEMING — Friends of Earl Dwight Fleming, who died Wednesday, March 13, 2019, will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Young Funeral Home, 127 W. Jefferson St., Butler.Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Westminster PCA Church, 420 N. Main St., Butler, with Pastor Dan Ledford officiating with military honors to follow conducted by VFW 249, American Legion 778 and Butler Legion 117.Private burial in Concord Cemetery.For more information, go to www.youngfuneralhomes.com.
