Obituary for Martha Ruth Fleming
Martha Ruth (Shoup) Fleming age 91 passed away August 29, 2023 at Keowee Square assisted living facility in Seneca, South Carolina.
Martha was born January 28, 1932, to Eugene and Lucille Shoup and grew up on their wheat and cattle farm east of Mulvane, Kansas, with siblings Donald, Barbara and Floyd. She remembered how wonderful it was when rural electricity arrived at the farm when she was 17 years old. Also fondly remembered was being able to eat store-bought white bread at her grandmother’s house in Mulvane; the luxury of going to town! Throughout her life a slice of “well-browned” toast with lots of jam and a slice of crispy bacon was a favorite breakfast.
Eugene and Lucille encouraged their children to have a positive attitude, look for the good in people, and pursue their own hopes and dreams. With these ideals, Martha graduated from Mulvane High School and immediately began work as a secretary and bookkeeper for Charles W. English in 1949 continuing with him through several business ventures.
After taking some time off to bring her children Mark and Julie into the world, she again joined Charles English in his new Mulvane real estate and construction business in 1959, assisting him with new home interior decorating as well. Mr. English valued Martha’s contribution and skills encouraging her to get a Real Estate Brokers License in 1965; her career was off and running, selling and decorating new homes for 26 years in Mulvane and Derby Kansas.
Family gatherings, especially the Shoup Reunion, were always special occasions where many hours were spent planning and “cooking up a storm” in preparation; fried chicken, home-made peach ice cream, jello fruit salad, and her cucumber-onion pickles were favorites. Besides her work and family, Martha’s passion was genealogy. Thousands of documents, hundreds of names and photos were researched, collected, and cataloged into binders meticulously reaching back 500 years into the 1570s. With the help of her “little brother” Floyd, she persisted in building these records into computer databases with her family research now residing with Legacy.com.
After Martha’s husband (Bob Fleming) of 63 years passed away, she decided to leave Kansas and join her daughter Julie (Fleming) Hoppock and her husband John in their retirement move to Keowee Key, Salem, South Carolina, in 2018. Although Kansas was “still in the girl”, she enjoyed the experience of the mountains and hills, forests and lakes of northwestern South Carolina and especially the attentive care and companionship of Julie, John, and their family.
Martha is survived by her brother Floyd (wife Vali) of Olathe, KS, sister Barbara Kimble of Wichita, KS; son Mark (wife Deborah) of Weed, CA; and daughter Julie Hoppock (husband John) of Salem, SC; their children Chase, Cole (wife Kimberly), and Camden; great-grandchildren Ben Hoppock, Henry Hoppock and Luke Hoppock; step great-grandchildren Kaitlyn Cornejo, Cassie Lowrey, and Travis Walters; and step great-great-grandchildren Levi Lowery and Eleanor Lowery.
Graveside Service will be held at 10 am Thursday, September 28, 2023, at the Mulvane Cemetery, East 119 th Street South, Mulvane, KS, with a get-together following the service at the Olive Garden Restaurant in Derby, KS. In-lieu of Flowers, a Memorial donation may be made to Keowee Square, Attn: Sabrina, 475 Rochester Highway, Seneca, SC, 29672. www.smithfamilymortuary.com
Martha was born January 28, 1932, to Eugene and Lucille Shoup and grew up on their wheat and cattle farm east of Mulvane, Kansas, with siblings Donald, Barbara and Floyd. She remembered how wonderful it was when rural electricity arrived at the farm when she was 17 years old. Also fondly remembered was being able to eat store-bought white bread at her grandmother’s house in Mulvane; the luxury of going to town! Throughout her life a slice of “well-browned” toast with lots of jam and a slice of crispy bacon was a favorite breakfast.
Eugene and Lucille encouraged their children to have a positive attitude, look for the good in people, and pursue their own hopes and dreams. With these ideals, Martha graduated from Mulvane High School and immediately began work as a secretary and bookkeeper for Charles W. English in 1949 continuing with him through several business ventures.
After taking some time off to bring her children Mark and Julie into the world, she again joined Charles English in his new Mulvane real estate and construction business in 1959, assisting him with new home interior decorating as well. Mr. English valued Martha’s contribution and skills encouraging her to get a Real Estate Brokers License in 1965; her career was off and running, selling and decorating new homes for 26 years in Mulvane and Derby Kansas.
Family gatherings, especially the Shoup Reunion, were always special occasions where many hours were spent planning and “cooking up a storm” in preparation; fried chicken, home-made peach ice cream, jello fruit salad, and her cucumber-onion pickles were favorites. Besides her work and family, Martha’s passion was genealogy. Thousands of documents, hundreds of names and photos were researched, collected, and cataloged into binders meticulously reaching back 500 years into the 1570s. With the help of her “little brother” Floyd, she persisted in building these records into computer databases with her family research now residing with Legacy.com.
After Martha’s husband (Bob Fleming) of 63 years passed away, she decided to leave Kansas and join her daughter Julie (Fleming) Hoppock and her husband John in their retirement move to Keowee Key, Salem, South Carolina, in 2018. Although Kansas was “still in the girl”, she enjoyed the experience of the mountains and hills, forests and lakes of northwestern South Carolina and especially the attentive care and companionship of Julie, John, and their family.
Martha is survived by her brother Floyd (wife Vali) of Olathe, KS, sister Barbara Kimble of Wichita, KS; son Mark (wife Deborah) of Weed, CA; and daughter Julie Hoppock (husband John) of Salem, SC; their children Chase, Cole (wife Kimberly), and Camden; great-grandchildren Ben Hoppock, Henry Hoppock and Luke Hoppock; step great-grandchildren Kaitlyn Cornejo, Cassie Lowrey, and Travis Walters; and step great-great-grandchildren Levi Lowery and Eleanor Lowery.
Graveside Service will be held at 10 am Thursday, September 28, 2023, at the Mulvane Cemetery, East 119 th Street South, Mulvane, KS, with a get-together following the service at the Olive Garden Restaurant in Derby, KS. In-lieu of Flowers, a Memorial donation may be made to Keowee Square, Attn: Sabrina, 475 Rochester Highway, Seneca, SC, 29672. www.smithfamilymortuary.com