JC Fulghum
Wenatchee, Washington
October 11, 2007

JC Fulgham, 83 years-old, was granted his desire to go be with his heavenly father, the one he always called, “The Big Boss”.  He died at home with his daughter and son-in-law, and very loyal and devoted dog, Hobo, by his side.  JC was born in Broken Bow, OK on November 11, 1924, to Ashley Redmond and Odessa May Fulghum.  His family moved to Arizona when he was a child, but he held many memories of his life in Oklahoma.  JC had two older brothers, Ashley and Elwood, and a younger sister, Eva Dell.  He said he was “the least of the boys” – his brothers would run faster than him, but he just kept going until finally catching up with them.  He was always determined to try as hard as he could, to do the best job he could, to work hard and finish what he started – traits he developed trying to keep up with his brothers.  That determination stayed with him throughout his entire life.  Just before falling ill, two years ago, he dug the most precise, amazing post holes made perfect by using a spoon!  The ground was rock hard, but he got the holes dug.  They were so level on the bottom, the posts stood perfectly upright when set into the holes.  JC was a truck driver, not a carpenter, but he built three houses for his family.  He cut stone, piece by piece, to build one of them.  He dug a basement, a shovel full at a time.  All this hard work was done after getting home from driving his big rig for many, many hours.  He was a truly amazing man and the best father anyone could ever hope for.

JC was a very good man who loved his family and prayed fervently for all of them.  One night last year, as he was suffering with his own pain, I thought he had gone to bed.  It was dark in the room when I looked in to see him kneeling beside the bed praying.  My heart was filled with pride and love.  No matter how badly he felt, he always had a smile and would say to me, “Now, don’t you worry about me, you go do the things you need to do.”  He knew that things would be better some day and placed his hope in Jesus without fear of dying because he knew his final home would be in heaven.

JC served in the Army from 1945 to 1947.  Soon after returning from his tour of duty in the Philippines, he married the love of his life, Martha Lou Suddeth in Prescott, AZ.  They initially made their home in Red Rover, AZ, then moved to Flagstaff where their daughters Quay Ann, Jay Lynne and Sybil Marie were born.  In 1960, the family moved to Cottonwood, AZ where their son Jay Alvin was born.  JC worked in the Red Rover Mine before becoming a truck driver for Cement Transporters, Inc. in Clarkdale, AZ until retiring in 1989.  Due to illness, JC and Martha moved to Wenatchee in August of 2005 to live with family.  JC’s beloved Martha died only two weeks after their move.

JC loved to garden and probably had one of the best gardens in Cottonwood.  Hunting and fishing were important in his life.  He often needed the food to provide for his family, but he also very much loved being outdoors.  JC will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

JC had four children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  He is survived by his sister, Eva Dell Johnson of Cottonwood; a sister-in-law, Sybil Myers of Cottonwood; his daughters and son-in-laws, Quay Ann and Lee Trammell of McAlester, OK, Jay Lynne and Chris Kimball of Wenatchee, and Sybil Killinger; his son Jay Alvin Fulghum of Camp Verde, AZ; his grandchildren, Julie Cockburn of Bend, OR, Andrew Killinger of Red Bluff, CA, Adam Killinger of Stockton, CA and Ashley Fulghum of Mesa, AZ; and his great-grandchildren, Shannon Rose and Brendon Killinger of Red Bluff, CA.

Viewing will be at Westcott Funeral Home in Cottonwood, AZ on October 16, 2007 with a graveside gathering at 1:00 p.m. at Valley View Cemetery in Clardale, AZ.