Sep 29, 2006   | COMMENTS     

Lesbian activist Aleta Fenceroy died of liver and lung cancer on Saturday, Sept. 23, at her home in Omaha, Neb., according to her partner, Jean Mayberry. Fenceroy and Mayberry produced the “Fenceberry Articles,” which for eight years informed e-mail subscribers about global gay issues. She was 57.

Fenceroy was born Dec. 27, 1948 in Princeton, Ill. and moved to Sioux City, Iowa as a young woman to attend Morningside College.  She received a master’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota while working part time and raising two children as a single mother on welfare.

In addition to being a church organist for 30 years, Fenceroy worked at a minimum-security residential treatment facility for non-violent offenders operated by the state of Iowa’s department of corrections. In 1998, she earned an associate’s degree in computer programming and took a job with First Data Resources in Omaha, Neb., as an analyst/programmer and software writer.

Partners for 15 years, Fenceroy and Mayberry worked on “Fenceberry” from 1996 to 2004. Bill Stosine of Iowa City started a gay news e-mail service in 1993. When he stopped operating it in 1996, Fenceroy and Mayberry acquired his e-mail list and “Fenceberry” was born.

Mayberry did the majority of the work on the e-mail service for two years, while Fenceroy worked on her degree. The next year they worked on it equally, and Fenceroy took over for the last five years.

In 2004, the couple decided to stop “Fenceberry” because of the huge time commitment involved in producing it.

“When she sunk her teeth into something, she didn’t let go,” Mayberry said in a statement. “Hence, eight years of  ‘Fenceberry Articles.’ Hour upon hour and day upon day were spent on the home computer. Aleta was determined to hunt down the story; to get the news out; to defend her community; and to right the wrongs to the best of her ability. And she did it with love, wit, dignity and charm. That is the way she lived her life and that is the way she died.”

Fenceroy is survived by two children, daughter Michelle Walker of Higley, Ariz., and Major Jeremy Fenceroy, known as J.J., based at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, Africa. She also leaves three granddaughters, Chloe, Ella and Teaghan. There will be no funeral and arrangements for a memorial service are not yet finalized. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation should contribute to the American Civil Liberties Union, 888-567-ACLU or www.aclu.org.

AMY CAVANAUGH