Mildred "Millie" Bannerman Flemming

Mildred “Millie” Bannerman Flemming, 1917-2016, joined her Heavenly Clan September 21, 2016, just five days short of her 99th birthday. Millie was preceded in death by her lovable but irascible husband of 55 years, Edward C. Flemming Sr., who died in 1998. Her late Clan includes her parents, Robert and Edith Rae Bannerman; her sisters, Edith Gendron Brown, Ruth Steinbock, Roberta Pobieglo, Elizabeth Charron; and her brother, Alexander Bannerman.

Millie is survived by her children: Karen (Mike) Warren, Heidi (Ron) Cuiccio, of Murfreesboro, TN; Edward (Anna) C. Flemming Jr.; of McCalla, AL; and Karla (Kerry) Barksdale of Tuscaloosa, AL. Her five grandchildren are, Mike (Jenny) Warren, Jr., of Gaffney, SC; William Wiese, of Auburn, AL; Wendy (Greg) Lawson, of Hixson, TN; Mary (Chris) Byrne, of Northport, AL; and Alex Flemming, of McCalla, AL. Millie’s five great grandchildren are, Hunter and Grant Warren, of Gaffney, SC; Makayla, Chris Jr., and Katherine Byrne, of Northport, AL. Millie also leaves behind many dear nieces and nephews.

Millie was born in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the fourth of six children of Scottish parents who had immigrated in 1910. She was very proud her Scottish heritage belonging to the Holyoke Lodge of the Daughters of Caledonian in Massachusetts, and after moving to Birmingham in 1957, became active in the Caledonia Society of Alabama. She and her family attended many Robert Burns’ nights gathering at Oak Mountain Park and picnics at Loch Douglas in Hoover. In 2002, Millie and all four children and two granddaughters traveled to Scotland; visiting her Mom’s birthplace in Aberdeen, and her Dad’s place of birth in Petershead. Cousins were re-united and new alliances formed. Because of Ed’s German heritage, they were also active in FDSK in Birmingham. (Millie was famous for her German potato salad for huge events.)

Millie graduated from Chicopee High School in Chicopee, Massachusetts at the ripe old age of sixteen. She found work as a bookkeeper. “In a back office so no one could see how young I was.” Later, she became a book binder at National Blank Book Company in Holyoke. This is where she met Dad. After Pearl Harbor, Dad joined the Navy, and Mom soon followed. She joined the WAVES, (Women Accepted for Volunteer Service) in May of 1943. She had six weeks of training at Hunter College, NY. Most of her service was at Arlington, VA and Trenton, NJ. Until recently, she was still visiting with two friends she had made then. In December of 1943, she married Ed Flemming, an engraver serving duty as a torpedo man in the US Navy.

After WWII, they bought a home in Granby, Massachusetts, for themselves and their three children. Ed ran an engraving and printing business from home. He and Millie were always available when school was out to play, to read, and to help with homework. Millie both kept the books and ran a printing press when necessary. She also cooked, baked, sewed, and gardened. Just think Mom’s homemade apple pie! She was active in the Granby Church of Christ, a Brownie Scout leader, a Cub Scout Den mother, a Grange member, and a nurturer to all she knew.

Millie and Ed moved to Birmingham in 1957 and welcomed their fourth child, Karla, in 1958. She lived in the same Cahaba Heights neighborhood for 47 years. Millie moved to Murfreesboro, TN in 2013. As the nest emptied, Millie went to work at the Social Security Administration, retiring 1979. Always the travelers, Millie and Ed bought a RV and traveled. Some of their travels took them to Ed’s USS Dyson reunions and Millie’s WAVE conventions. Other trips were to see the country they loved and their far flung family. Millie and Ed also spent twenty years of their “together” time volunteering with the Blind Rehab unit at the Birmingham VA hospital and making sandwiches for VFW bingo nights. Millie also delivered “Meals on Wheels” as a member of Cahaba Height United Methodist Church. After she was widowed in 1998, Millie continued her work at the VA Information Desk. In 2006, Millie received The Presidential Award from George W. Bush for over 4,000 hours of service to her local community. She was also named the Veterans of Foreign Wars Community Volunteer of the Year Award that same year. Doing volunteer work with Ed was a great pleasure. She wanted to be remembered for the joy they received while giving their service to others, yes, part of The Greatest Generation.

The family would like to thank the hospice group Caris for their skills and comfort, and to Lillie Boykin, Mom’s caregiver, for her love and tenderness.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your favorite Veterans organization, St Mark’s UMC endowment fund at 1267 N. Rutherford Blvd. Murfreesboro, TN; Cahaba Heights UMC at 3139 Cahaba Heights Rd. Vestavia, AL 35243 or Faith UMC at 191 Montcalm St. Chicopee, MA.

Visitation will be Saturday, September 24, 2016, from 2:00- 3:00 with services following. The service will be officiated by Rev. Mike Spivey at Ridout’s Valley Chapel, 1800 Oxmoor Road, Birmingham, AL 35209 with her final resting place at the Village Cemetery in South Hadley Falls, MA at a later date.