Miriam Maria Fleming
FLEMING, Miriam Maria, 17, Guilford, at Nigeria, April 11, 2014. A memorial service will be held at the Abbot Evangelical Free Church on Sunday, May 4, at 1:30 p.m. with a light lunch following.
Miriam Maria Fleming
GUILFORD – Miriam Maria Fleming, 17, went to sleep in Jesus, April 11, 2014, until the resurrection morning. She died of acute malaria after only ten days of illness while doing missionary work at a health center, African Medical Missionary Institute, in Odiokwu Town, Ahoada, Rivers State, Nigeria.
She is survived by her parents, Larry and Maria Fleming of Guilford; brothers, Joel and Orion; and sisters, Eve, Jael, and Ruth.
She was a hard working teenager who spent hour after hour sewing clothing for family and friends, through her sewing business, Little Maid’s Sewing, and for women in Nigeria, where she taught sewing classes. She was a caring and faithful Christian influence to her brothers and sisters in kindness and generosity. Homeschooled, she helped in the family health food business, Little Lad’s Bakery, at its Corinth location and more recently, Guilford, and could run the company’s restaurant in Portland, which she regularly did with her sister, Eve. When the New York City Little Lad’s restaurant was open, 2006-2012, she was a regular helper there, and taught cooking schools there as well as at many other locations from Maine to Maryland.
At the African Medical Missionary Institute, a charitable affiliate of Little Lad’s, she helped in the bakery, teaching how to improve their baked products, including whole grain breads and cookies. Her sewing classes taught skills women needed to help them start an industry to make and sell clothing in Nigeria.
She had been to Nigeria, always accompanied by her father, four times since the age of 13. This was the first time she was old enough to travel and remain there unaccompanied by her father, but surrounded by friends who loved her.
She had always dreamed of having a sanitarium, a health center that would teach people about natural remedies and about how to get well naturally without drugs and hospitals. She will be sorely missed by her family who look forward to the resurrection.
A memorial service will be held at the Abbot Evangelical Free Church on Sunday, May 4, at 1:30 p.m. with a light lunch following.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Miriam Fleming Memorial Fund Camden National Bank, P.O. Box 280, Corinth, ME 04427, with proceeds to help the project in Nigeria for which she gave her life.