Clara Amelia Luther Information

Clara Amelia Luther was born 23 May 1872 in Floyd Knobs, Floyd Co., Indiana. She was the 4th child of 10 born to Benjamin A. Luther and Mary Elizabeth Madlung. Benjamin migrated from Germany about 1842 with his family at the age of 5. His family settled in Indiana where Benjamin met and married Mary Madlung on 14 October 1866 in Floyd Co., Indiana, where all of their children were born. This information was provided by Rebecca Louise Dailey, who took this information from the Luther Family Bible, which was in the possession of Howard William Luther, son of William Gabriel Luther, son of Benjamin A., Howard Luther is Rebecca's brother.

As a young teen Clara often worked for other families, such as cleaning homes, laundry, and cooking, to help out her family who struggled financially. At a Church of God revival she was saved and traveled with other young converts to the Church of God Headquarters in Kentucky for a camp meeting. It was there she met Edgar A. Fleenor, a young and handsome Circuit-Rider Preacher. They were married 20 June 1901, and were blessed with 4 children. The first were a set of twins, Willard & William, then a son Oris, and a daughter, Naomi Ruth, my Mother.

After moving to Bedford, Clara's husband Edgar soon became involved with the Church of God in their community becoming the pastor of the small congregation. After 13 years of service there, Edgar was called to start a church in Alexandria, so packing their slight belongings they moved their family, traveling by train. It was an adventure my Mother never forgot, often telling us this Story.

Again Clara became very active in their new church, which Edgar pastored for nearly 36 years. Often Clara and Edgar would have many of their congregation to their home for food, fellowship and prayer. My grandparents were great prayer warriors all their lives. My Grandmother always had beautiful long white hair, that my Mother often brushed out at night. But that was the only time it hung down, as during the day it was always pulled back in a large bun, with beautiful antique pins stuck in it. My Mother gave me some of those pins which I still have and cherish. I also remember Grandma in her kitchen, which seemed very big to me as a child, with a big wooden table and lots of chairs around it, as my grandparents often had many folks from their church come and share a meal with them around that big table. Plus Grandma loved to cook-so I often remember her standing next to her big old stove and always with an apron on. Grandma and Grandpa lived in a small home in Alexandria, on W. Monroe Street, on a cobbled brick street, one block from the railroad tracks, that had a pump and well at the side and a swing on their front porch, that I loved to swing on as a child. I also remember seeing them on their hands and knees in front of their couch in the livingroom as they prayed everynight for their family and church members.

When Grandpa died in 1955, Grandma was very lonely,and just not able to take care of herself anymore,so she came to live with us in Michigan, as my Mother was her only daughter. I will never forget that year she lived with us. It wasn't always an easy time for everyone, often ringing the bell at night that was on her night stand, as she could not get out of bed on her own. My Mother would have to help her in or out of a chair, or in or out of bed, and sometimes it would take both my parents to do this. Grandma fell and broke her hip trying to get out of her bed on her own, and it wasn't long after she died too, but now she is with Grandpa in Heaven. So by the time I was 11 I had lost both my Grandparents. I still miss them. They were very special to me.

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