William Fleming and Janet McIndoe Fleming Family

Edward's mother, Janet (Jessie) Fleming was the third child of William Fleming and Janet McIndoe. She was born about 1850 in Clarkston, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and died 23 February 1871, in Plains, Lanarkshire, Scotland, at the age of 20, a victim of Tuberculosis.

Edward was only nine months old at the time of his mother's death. From then on, he was cared for by his Grandparents, William and Janet. But, Grandmother Janet died just ten months later, 5 December 1871, also from Tuberculosis.

Grandfather William Fleming was left to raise his nine-month old grandson, Edward, along with his own family of eight living children, the youngest of whom was only seven years old: John Fleming (1845-1898), Catherine Fleming Crum (1847-1927), Peter Fleming (about 1852-no death date yet), Agnes Fleming McCrea (1854-1887), William Fleming (1855-1914), Walter Fleming (1858-no death date yet), James Fleming (1860-1944), Hugh Fleming (1863-1894).

The oldest son, John Fleming, left his parents and brothers and sisters and immigrated to America in 1868 (before the death of his mother). He first went to Canada and farmed for nine months. Then he came down to Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin, where he worked with his mother's brother, the Honorable Walter Duncan McIndoe for three years. In 1872, he went to Nevada and then shortly thereafter settled in Idaho (Blackfoot/Pocatello area) where he raised sheep, cattle, and horses, farmed and also served as a government agent over the Bannock and Shoshone Indians. He was in Idaho for 20 years and then in 1892, he returned to Wisconsin. He resided in Merrill, Lincoln County. In 1893, he was married to Mrs. Alice G. Champagne, a widow. He died in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, on 25 November 1898. He was not in Idaho when his youngest brother, Hugh, was murdered on 30 March 1894.

The oldest daughter, Catherine Fleming, was married in 1873 to Robert Crum. In 1889, Robert and Catherine along with their eight children immigrated to America and settled in Pocatello, Idaho, where Catherine's brother, John, was living. They remained and raised their family in Pocatello where they died (Robert in 1931 and Catherine in 1927).

The next of William and Janet Fleming's children was Janet (Jessie) Edward's mother.

The next daughter, Agnes Fleming, was married to Thomas McCrea in 1872. They, with two young sons, immigrated to Australia, arriving in Brisbane in 1877. Thomas and Agnes had five more children in Australia. Agnes died shortly after the birth of her youngest child, Ellen, in 1887.

Five more sons of William and Janet--Peter, William, Walter, James and Hugh--also left Scotland and came to the Pocatello, Idaho, area. Peter probably died in Utah. William died in 1914 in Pocatello. Walter immigrated to Australia. James married and settled in the Portland, Oregon, area where he died in 1944. Hugh was engaged in sheep raising along with his older brothers. In 1894, while tending the sheep, he was murdered by some cattlemen in the American Falls, Idaho, area.

Edward was with his uncles and Aunt Catherine and family in Idaho at the time of his Uncle Hugh's murder. After that event, Edward, after some wandering, settled in Moab, Utah, where he met his future wife, Annie Jane Allan.

Meanwhile, Edward's Grandfather, William Fleming, was left all alone in Scotland since his wife and daughter, Jessie, had died and his other children had immigrated to America and Australia. In 1891, William also left Scotland and came to America. He settled in Wisconsin near his wife's sister, Catherine McIndoe Alexander, and her family. The Wisconsin Land Records show that in 1893, he owned 120 acres of land. He is listed in the 1900 Census, a resident of Hazelhurst, Oneida County, Wisconsin. William died 9 December 1901 at Minocqua, Oneida, Wisconsin.

The following is from the Minocqua newspaper on December 12, 1901: "William Fleming, who has been at the St. Augustine hospital in this city, died last Saturday evening at 10:30 p.m. Walter and Jude Alexander of Wausau, nephews of the deceased, arrived Sunday and took the remains to Wausau where they were interred." William was buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

At the time that his Grandfather Fleming died, Edward was living in Bluff, Utah, with his wife, Annie, and his one-month old son, Clyde Fleming Thompson. Edward didn't find out about his Grandfather's immigration and death until more than a year later while he was serving as a missionary in England.