Maria Fearing
Encyclopedia
Maria Fearing was born in slavery near Gainesville, Alabama
in 1838. She worked as a house servant in the home of William and Amanda Winston. After the end of slavery, she learned to read and write at the age of 33. She went on to graduate from the Freedman's Bureau School in Talladega, Alabama
and qualified as a teacher. After a successful career as a teacher in Anniston
, she accompanied William Henry Sheppard
to Africa in 1894 as a Presbyterian missionary
. Rejected by the church due to her age which at this time she was 56, she initially financed her mission primarily through funds from the sale of her home. For twenty years, she worked in the Congo
as a teacher and Bible translator. She also bought many people out of slavery in the Congo. Her most famous achievement was the establishment of the Pantops Home for Girls in Luebo
, Congo. She was known as mama wa Mputu, which means "Mother from far away". Despite the church's skepticism, Fearing outlasted many of her colleagues in Africa and only retired from missionary service in 1915 due to age restrictions. She taught school in Selma, Alabama
until her death in 1937 at the age of 99.
After her death, her fame was spread to many Alabama schoolchildren, both white and black, through the inclusion of her life story in Alabama history textbooks during the turbulent days of the 1960s. She was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000.
Gainesville, Alabama
Gainesville is a town in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 220.-Geography:Gainesville is located at .According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
in 1838. She worked as a house servant in the home of William and Amanda Winston. After the end of slavery, she learned to read and write at the age of 33. She went on to graduate from the Freedman's Bureau School in Talladega, Alabama
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 15,143. The city is the county seat of Talladega County. Talladega is approximately 50 miles east of Birmingham, Alabama....
and qualified as a teacher. After a successful career as a teacher in Anniston
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
, she accompanied William Henry Sheppard
William Henry Sheppard
Reverend William Henry Sheppard was one of the earliest African Americans to become a missionary for the Presbyterian Church. He spent 20 years in Africa, primarily in and around the Congo Free State, and is best known for his efforts to publicize the atrocities committed against the Kuba and...
to Africa in 1894 as a Presbyterian missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
. Rejected by the church due to her age which at this time she was 56, she initially financed her mission primarily through funds from the sale of her home. For twenty years, she worked in the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
as a teacher and Bible translator. She also bought many people out of slavery in the Congo. Her most famous achievement was the establishment of the Pantops Home for Girls in Luebo
Luebo
Luebo is a town and seat of Kasai District of southern-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 40,115....
, Congo. She was known as mama wa Mputu, which means "Mother from far away". Despite the church's skepticism, Fearing outlasted many of her colleagues in Africa and only retired from missionary service in 1915 due to age restrictions. She taught school in Selma, Alabama
Selma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census....
until her death in 1937 at the age of 99.
After her death, her fame was spread to many Alabama schoolchildren, both white and black, through the inclusion of her life story in Alabama history textbooks during the turbulent days of the 1960s. She was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000.
External links
- http://www.archives.state.al.us/afro/maria.html