Amanda Fleming Harper Hopper

Amanda Fleming Harper was born on April 26, 1921, the first of two children born to Pearl Brazelton Fleming and Patrick William Fleming of Madison County in the rural area of northern Alabama known to locals as "The Big Cove". This community's closest town then was Huntsville, Alabama. She died peacefully on October 6, 2014, in Pasadena California with her closest family members at her side. She was pre-deceased by her brother, Eugene (Buddy) Fleming. Until August 30th 2014, she lived in her own home in Pasadena since 1959. She was 93 years old. Amanda spent the first 7 years of her life in The Big Cove with her parents and a host of relatives from the Brazelton and the Fleming sides of her family. At the age of eight it was decided that since she was a studious child that she should go to live in Huntsville, in the household of her mother's cousin, Jessie Cabiness and her husband William Cabiness, who were a childless couple. Even though the schools were segregated then, she was able to receive a wonderfully challenging education through high school. Her teachers were members of her immediate community and her church community and it was during this time she developed a lifelong love of reading and learning. While completing her high school education, she wisely became proficient in typing and other secretarial skills. This enabled her to begin her next educational endeavor of going to college. She was accepted at Knoxville College (KC) in Knoxville Tennessee and to pay her tuition costs, she was given a secretarial job in the college affairs office. It was during this time that she met the love of her life, Samuel William Harper, who was to become her husband. They had several classes together and both Sam and Amanda graduated from KC. Amanda's major was education and her minor was in French. They married after college and as he went on to enlist with the United States Army at the rank of 1st lieutenant he began officer's training school for the United States Army Air Corp. He completed his training and became part of the decorated cadre of airmen known as the Tuskegee Airmen and flew with the 477th bombardier squadron as a pilot. Amanda went back to live with Aunt Jessie in Huntsville. It was there that her first child, Sandra Fleming Harper was born. After the war was over, Sam began working at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Amanda had already accepted a teaching Job in Huntsville. In 1947 the couple decided to leave the south and looked toward many more job opportunities in California where Sam had an Aunt and Uncle living already. Sam, Amanda and Sandra lived for a while with Piccola Estes, Sam's paternal aunt, and her family in Los Angeles. It was decided that both Sam and Amanda would look for teaching jobs in the Los Angeles City School district but both had to acquire teaching credentials for the State of California. Sam went to The University of Southern California (USC) and received a secondary credential and Amanda went to The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and received an elementary credential. Both went on to be hired as classroom teachers at their respective levels. The built-in rivalry between the two colleges was ever present in their lives. However, Amanda accompanied Sam to their season's ticket-holders seats at most of the USC games throughout their lives together. In 1949 Sam and Amanda bought their first house with the assistance of the G.I. bill in Los Angeles, where they would go on to add to their family with the births of a second child, Henry Fearn Harper, and another daughter, Janice Maria Harper. During this time they were active in church and family activities. Amanda continued to be a working mom who was actively involved in the lives of her husband and her children. She retired in 1989 from the Los Angeles Unified School District after 38 years as a bilingual teacher. In 1959, the family moved to Pasadena California where Amanda was to spend the rest of her life. She lost Sam in 1974 who passed away unexpectedly due to a heart attack at the young age of 55 years of age. For the next 40 years she lived as a widow, in the same house and continued on with life being very much involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren. She had many close friends and family members who were an important part of her daily life. After her husband's death she took on the reins of a being a property owner and investor and she was a member of the Pasadena-based The Sunday Reading Group from its inception. While a member she participated fervently in discussions of books and politics. Amanda leaves her daughters Sandra Harper Johns and Janice Harper and her son Henry Harper to mourn her passing as well as grandchildren William Wright Jr. (Pancho), Darryl Stephens, Wade French, Mark Demoica, and Julie Amanda Harper. Her great grandchildren are Armauni Barsamian, Julian William Wright, Amanda Lynn Wright, Taylor Grace Wright and Nathan Kraft. A host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends and her faithful caregivers Maura Rugamas and Roberto Vivas will miss her dearly. As per her wishes she will be placed in the "arms" of her husband in Oliver Springs Tennessee. A memorial service will be held, Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 1:00 P.M. in the chapel of Sharp Funeral Home in Oliver Springs, TN. Burial will follow at the Carters Bluff Cemetery. Sharp Funeral Home is serving the Harper family