Obituary of Mary Louise Fleming

Mary Louise Fleming (91) longtime resident of St. Maries, ID passed away at Valley Vista Care Center on May 6, 2016. She was born to Raleigh and Ida Hughes (Sr) on July 17, 1924 in St. Maries, ID. Mary grew up in St. Maries and graduated from St. Maries High School with the Class of 1942. While in high school, Mary was the Student Body President and was very active in all student activities. Following high school, Mary attended the University of Idaho for one semester and decided she wanted to become a nurse. She enrolled in St. Luke’s Hospital’s nursing program, becoming a Registered Nurse. During WWII she was part of the Nurse Cadet Core program. In 1946 Mary met Dar Fleming who happened to be a friend of her brother. The couple dated for a year before marrying on January 8, 1947 in Coeur d’ Alene, ID. The couple started their family and lived on a farm on Hells Gulch. Mary went to work for the St. Maries Hospital (where the Presbyterian Church currently stands), and then she went to work for the new Benewah Community Hospital. She took a leave of absence to attend an anesthesia program at Sacred Heart; there she became a Certified Nurse Anesthetist. She continued to work for Benewah Community Hospital until her retirement in 1975. During Mary’s retirement, she volunteered for St. Maries Senior Center and the Meal Site. Mary’s husband Dar had the mail route to Avery and she would join him on his mail runs. When she wasn’t working or volunteering, she enjoyed traveling, playing cards at the Senior Center, gardening, and camping, and she loved fishing. The couple would travel to Dworshak to fish and they would sometimes winter on the Baja Peninsula. Mary is survived by her daughters Gae (Todd) Hoffman of Lexington, KY and Sue Baker of Tenino, WA; granddaughter Kim Hawkins of Tenino, WA, grandson Keenan Granville of Lexington, KY, brother Raleigh (Ardys) Hughes Jr. of St. Maries, ID, and numerous nieces and nephews. Services are pending at this time.