Alberta Lucille (Kingfisher) Fleming/Wewaabimiigwaans of the Na-me (Sturgeon) clan, age 90, of Lac Courte Oreilles, began her journey home on Friday, April 23, 2021 surrounded by the love of her family.

She was born on January 29, 1931 in the family home located near the Billyboy dam.

The daughter of John and Lucille (Mike) Kingfisher, she was the second of five children, Brothers, John, Donald “Bud”, Alexander, and sister Loyola. Her family traveled to many places in her youth as her father worked in many places. She attended high school in Zion, Illinois. An advocate for education, she later graduated from the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College.

During her growing up years, Alberta’s family relocated from Lac Courte Oreilles to Cumberland and then Zion, IL where she graduated from Zion-Benton High School. It was in Zion, that Alberta met Arthur Fleming at a dance. They were both from Lac Courte Oreilles but happened to meet in Illinois. After a short time, they were married on January 23, 1954, later they would return to Alberta’s family home in Signor at Billyboy Dam where they would build a family of love and have 11 children. Art and Alberta were happiest when surrounded by their children and all their babies. Alberta was an amazing cook; she had the ability to make everybody feel welcome and cared for. It was her ability to love that was her greatest gift of all, and her bread… her bread was the smell of home.

After her babies were out of childhood, Alberta returned to work and school earning her AA degree from the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College and working in early childhood education at the Baby Bear Day Care in Round Lake. Later in life, she served as an elder in the LCO Schools elementary school rooms where she loved reading to the kids and helping them with their language and writing skills.

Alberta loved to travel and see new things, she had an adventurous soul and loved riding all the rollercoasters with her brother John.

As an elder, Alberta was honored as the Honor the Earth’s 2007 Anishinabekwe. She loved listening to drum songs and would sit for hours, holding the babies, visiting family and watching the dancers at the pow-wows.

She is survived by her children; Rhonda (Kirt) Quagon, Michael Fleming, Kathryn (Lawrence) Dernovsek, Gerald (Maureen) Fleming, Lewis (Lisa) Fleming, Lori (Ray) Wolf, Douglas (Kathy) Fleming, Marcy (Louis) Gouge, Kimberly (John) Mueller, and Karen Breit. Many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren called her “Koobie.”

Alberta was preceded in death by husband Arthur J. Fleming and son David A. Fleming, parents John and Lucille and her brothers, John, Bud, and Alexander and her sister, Loyola.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at St. Francis Solanus Indian Mission in Reserve. Father Gregory Hopeful will officiate with music provided by Sister Felissa Zander. Burial will be in New Post Cemetery. Visitation will begin 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 27th at the Cultural Center at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College.

Honorary Pallbearers; Kirt Quagon, Larry (Lawrence) Dernovsek, Louis “Tiger” Gouge, John Mueller II, Arthur Fleming, Daniel Kingfisher and James Schlender Jr.

Casket Bearers; Michael J. Fleming, Michael Winters, Damon Fleming, Nicholas Wolf, Benjamin Fleming, Travis Fleming, Ian Breit & Brennan Potack.

Last Update: Apr 27, 2021 2:46 pm CDT