The Reverend James Lightfoot Fleming (earlier spelling was Flemming) was born March 3, 1769 in Delaware per the 1850 Muskingum County Ohio census (pg. 127, James L. Fleming 87yrs b. Delaware). He died September 3, 1855 in Falls Township, Muskingum, OH says The Muskingum County Genealogical Society, Cemetery Inscriptions of Hopewell, Licking and Muskingum Townships Muskingum County Ohio (1982), and is buried at the Blacklog Cemetery (#46 Falls Twp., Muskingum Co. Ohio).

He married Ellen (Nellie) who was born 1774 in Delaware (Source: 1850 Muskingum Co. Ohio census (pg. 127, Flemming, Ellen 76 b. Del.), and died 18 September 1856 per the old Alpha Quinn Flemming Family Bible.

The marriage records show that he officiated at many marriages from 1794 to 1806. In 1806 Rev.James L. Fleming performed the marriage ceremonies for all of the children of John Fleming, whose marriages are on the record at Zanesville, Ohio. On the 13th of September, 1803, the County Court exempted James Fleming, a Methodist preacher, from paying county levies and poor rates and from working on the public highway.

It was reported by Karen Mauer Green, Pioneer Ohio Newspapers 1802-1818, (The Frontier Press, Galveston, TX, 1988), p. 233.) the Reverend Fleming was elected Muskingum County Commissioner November 1, 1816 and he was also a Methodist Episcopal Minister (Source: Susan J. Cohen, Associate Curator, United Methodist Archives Center, Delaware, OH.) The Muskingum County Deed Book G, p. 425, Recorded May 4, 1822 states that on 20 March 1822 states that he sold property in Irville to William George.

Reverend Fleming and his wife Nellie and four (4) children: Thornton, Alpha Quinn (b. 1813 in Muskingum County), Charles L (b September 25, 1808 in Muskingum County), and Malissa Ellen (b. September 2, 1815 in Muskingum). Charles L. Fleming and Margaret Sherrad's (also Sherod) daughter Melissa (b. October 26, 1837 in Muskingum) was my great grand father's mother.

My great grandfather, Warren McCord Fleming was born January 17, 1856 in Muskingum County, Ohio. At an early age he lived with his great-aunt Mary Jane (Fleming) Smith in Ohio. In 1877, at the age of 21, Warren came to the Arthur, IL area, along with Mary Jane and John Smiley Smith, his Uncle Charles W. Fleming and other Fleming relatives. He was later the Mayor of Arthur, started the first telephone system in Arthur and in conjunction with partners operated a hardware store, furniture and undertaking business in the Fleming Opera House in Arthur. He was elected sheriff of Moultrie County in 1910 and he, his wife and youngest son were the first occupants of the living quarters in the current Moultrie County Jail.

During the late afternoon on Friday, the 27 year old son of a local attorney had accosted a young lady rather severely. The attorney and his family were friends of Sheriff Fleming and his family. The Sheriff had been out of town most of the day. Upon his return, a warrant was issued. The unarmed Sheriff and his deputies drove to the residence of the assailant. As Sheriff Fleming stepped out of the car at 7:00 PM, the assailant fired one shot from his shotgun mortally wounding the sheriff. When the assailant learned what he had done, he went into a cornfield and shot himself. That date was September 5, 1913.

Sheriff Fleming is the only police officer in Moultrie County to give his life in the line of duty. Sheriff Fleming has been accepted into the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial in Washington, DC, the Illinois Police Officers Memorial in Springfield, IL, and the American Police Hall of Fame in Miami, Florida.

During the American Civil War Charles L's son Charles W. Fleming enlisted in the 66th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company E beginning in 1863 after his older brother James Quinn Fleming was mortally wounded at the Battle of Port Republic, VA on June 9, 1862 serving in the same 66th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.