Overview:
• Martha Alice Burr Fletcher lived a purpose-filled life marked by numerous accomplishments, including being a dedicated mother, a trailblazing community leader, and a committed church member.
• She made significant contributions in various areas, from education to professional work, and was honored by many notable figures for her wisdom and beauty.
Contributed by the Family
Martha Alice Burr Fletcher was born on Aug. 8, 1924. She lived a purpose-filled life that was filled with God, hard work and incredible, “unthinkable” accomplishments for a Black woman of her generation.
She peacefully went home to be with the Lord on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2024, surrounded by her loving family and holding the hand of her beloved daughter, Bonnie. She was 99.
Mrs. Fletcher was the youngest child and only daughter of Calvin and Elizabeth Warren Burr. Her biological mother, Elizabeth, died when Martha Alice was an infant. Margaret (Maggie) Nichols, her first cousin, said, “Bring me the baby.”
Alford and Margaret, first cousins, adopted Alice into their family. Martha Alice never left her Burr family bloodline.
She attended Cincinnati Public Schools and graduated in the Class of 1938 from Garfield Elementary School. She graduated from Hughes High School in 1942 — a major accomplishment for a young Black woman during that time. She arrived at her high school graduation by limousine, driven by the late Jenifer Renfro, former owner of Renfro Funeral Services. He offered the limousine service to celebrate her accomplishment.
On Nov. 19, 1949, Martha Alice Burr married Charles H. Fletcher. Their union was blessed with three children: Bonnie, Charles Jr. and Lester. She also had five godchildren: Cheryl Henson (Earl), Carla Sebron, Frank Dwight Wilborn, Lori Wilborn (deceased) and Eric Wilborn.
She was a mother not only to her three biological children, but to all children she met throughout her life. She opened her home to many family members and others who experienced hard times.
The door was always open, and there was always a bed. If she heard that someone was homeless and they did not approach her for help, Martha Alice Fletcher would approach them with her housing offer.
In the late 1950s, she reconnected with Garfield Elementary School by becoming its first African American president of Garfield’s PTA.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, in 1969. The challenges of being a young widow did not deter her from embracing life and meeting her personal goals.
Church was the center stone of Martha Alice Fletcher’s life. She was baptized at the age of 10 by Pastor D. Shelton. She attended First Baptist for the rest of her life, teaching Sunday school for 63 years and serving as a lifelong missionary and a matriarch of First Baptist Church of Cumminsville. She was the longest tenured member of the church’s 154- year-old history.
As a lifelong missionary, she took on the duty of picking up five other missionaries every Monday to take to the homes of sick and shut-in members to teach Sunday school lessons. She also taught a Wednesday Bible Study at the Victoria Retirement Center in Norwood. Another of her favorite missionary activities was at Christmastime when the missionaries delivered poinsettia plants to 50 elderly church members.
Martha Alice Fletcher also served as the co-founder of the First Baptist Church’s Book Club, (now in its third decade of existence), as a charter member and director for the church’s pastoral choir, as well as pianist for the Sunday school. First Baptist members all lovingly called her, “Aunt Alice.”
She started the church’s annual Black history program that includes, “A Taste of Soul Food” dinner.
She was recognized and honored by the Cumminsville Community Council in 2015 as one of the current and former residents who were over 90 years old.
As a historian, she was a member of the Thomas Jefferson Monticello Society and was interviewed about the church’s founder, Peter Fossett, Thomas Jefferson’s son. In her article, she recalls the days her mother talked about the Rev. Fossett. Her entire live interview about the Rev. Peter Fossett and the church founders can be viewed and heard on Google.
She is featured in the Oct. 13, 1935, Homecoming church picture that is proudly displayed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, part of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
Martha Alice Fletcher’s work career is as impressive as her dedication to her First Baptist Church. After graduation, she held many government jobs, another amazing accomplishment for a Black woman of her time. Her longest tenure was with the Internal Revenue Service, where she hired as a young widow and she worked faithfully for 30 years.
At the IRS, she was a personnel specialist supporting five states: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and West Virginia. She was the first employee assistance program leader for five states as well as the employee equal opportunity coordinator for five states. She also worked in the Service Center, the district and the region for IRS. [It is said] countless IRS African American managers and employees owe their careers, positions and retirements to her.
She was matriarch of the Association for the Improvement of Minorities Retirement organization. She was a valiant advocate, sponsor and the mentor for African Americans and their employment rights. She continued to receive thanks and commendations from them. Her office was a safe refuse for them. She also motivated four generations of her family to become IRS employees. Upon her retirement from the IRS, she received the IRS prestigious Albert Gallagher Award for outstanding service.
Retirement, however, did not mean that Martha Alice Fletcher was going to slow down. At the age of 65, she enrolled at Xavier University and earned a degree in early childhood education.
She considered earning her college degree as one of her life’s greatest accomplishments. She drove herself to Xavier and walked on a cane to all her classes. She had several classes with Xavier’s basketball players who always went out of their way to help her. She would comment that her helpers all called her “Ms. Martha” and were all so tall.
She was one of the organizers and leaders of Just Us, the travel club whose members traveled to 48 states and enjoyed cruises on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during its 30-year existence. She was an original organizer of the annual Burr Family Reunion. She was a dedicated member of the Optimistic 10 Ladies Civic Club for the 40 years of its existence. The Optimistic Ten were featured in The Cincinnati Enquirer on Nov. 24, 1998, as a civic club with a benevolent commitment. Each year Optimistic Ten provided Christmas joy to two families.
Martha Alice Fletcher received proclamations from President Barack Obama, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Mayor John Cranley, as well as many others religious, political and benevolent entities.
For her 99th birthday, she had a card party. Everyone in her sphere of influence was asked to send her a card. The goal was for her to receive 99 cards. By the time her birthday arrived, she had received 245 cards.
Mrs. Fletcher was an extraordinarily remarkable woman who was a Cincinnati Herald 2018 Nefertiti honoree because she exemplified the wisdom and beauty of the Ancient African Queen Nefertiti throughout her 99 years. She was a perpetual trailblazer in the areas of community, education, professional arena and religion. Crediting her numerous achievements the result of her devout faith, unconditional love and steadfast commitment to her life’s mission, she said, “If I can help somebody as I travel along, then my living will not be in vain.”
Martha Alice Burr Fletcher is survived by her three children: Bonnie (Kirk), Charles (Ena) and Lester; six grandchildren Dr. Martha Slaten (Dr. Whitney) of Rhinebeck, New York; Kim Fluker, Tamara Newland, Cincinnati; Amy Fletcher (Megan Brown) Sacramento, California; Charles Fletcher and Brandon Morgan (Nevada) Cincinnati; 13 great-grandchildren (three deceased). She had many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who were a part of her staunchly faithful and well lived life.
Services have been held, with burial at Spring Grove Cemetery, Lakeside Mausoleum, 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati.
Sincere and heartfelt thanks to Patricia Smith and Karen Sutttles for their eight years of loving, dutiful and compassionate care for Martha both day and night.