Lethia Cousins Fleming

Lethia Cousins Fleming (November 7, 1876 – September 22, 1963) was an African-American suffragist, teacher, social worker, civil rights activist, and she was active in Republican politics at both local and national levels. Her father was Black and born free, he served in the Confederate Army and after was a brick mason. Fleming was the oldest of eight children in her family, she attended high school in Ironton, Virginia. She taught in schools in Virginia, then in McDowell and Cabell counties in West Virginia. Tom was a lawyer and at that time had served one term as Cleveland city councilman, the marriage to Lethia was his second. The couple never had children, and Thomas had three children from his first marriage which Lethia helped raise. Fleming was the first female to be a trustee at Mt. Zion Congregational Church in Cleveland.

She died on September 22, 1963, in Cleveland and is buried at Lake View Cemetery.