A tribute to my Mother gone nine years this May

Rosalee Ann Fulton

Rosalee Ann Fulton was born Jan. 8, 1931 in KIRKLIN, Indiana to Roy Lee Bannon and Leota Osborn Bannon. She was the 1^st of three children born to this union. A sister, Virginia and a brother Donald would follow. On May 26, 1949 she graduated from Noblesville High School. On May 29, 1949 She Married Clarence Alonzo Fulton of RR# 2, Sheridan, In.

They set up housekeeping in a house trailer in Broad Ripple, Indiana just 1 block from Ford Fence Company where Clarence worked.  After 8 months, they moved into an apartment owned by Rosalee’s mother and father, Roy and Leota Bannon.  On May 6, 1950 their first child was born, a boy, Daniel Lee.   After  18 months, they moved to a house on Water Company property in rural Noblesville where the Morse reservoir dam was eventually built. The house was later used as the Water company office.  There, in the evening after coming home from work at Ford Fence Co., Clarence would help John Case farm the water Company property for rent on the house. Case decided that he needed a full time hand so again they moved. This time they moved to the Mattie Hinshaw property in Westfield.  In the spring of the year, Clarence got a call from John Case. It seems that Clarence got more done part time than the hired hand got done all day, so again they moved back to the Water Company property. On April 11, 1952 another son, Richard Wesley, was born.  All the time Rosalee longed for somewhere to put down roots, a place of her own to raise her kids.

In August of 1952 they purchased a property on rural route 1, Cicero, IN.  They had to borrow the down payment from Roy and Leota Bannon, Rosalee’s father and mother. She took in their washing and ironing to repay the loan on top of moving and raising two boys.  The house didn’t have indoor plumbing, so she had to hand pump the water and carry it in from the old hand dug well and heat it on the wood stove In order to do laundry. The well pump had a sock over the spout to keep the silverfish out of the water bucket as the water was drawn. All drinking water had to be boiled. The house wasn’t much but it sat on 5 acres of woods. Here she could put down roots.

Here she thrived. The house was always a work in progress. Wallpaper had to be removed and plaster fixed and walls painted. There was never enough money, but she was determined her family would not go hungry.  She would can vegetables from the garden, sew clothes and dresses, and even find time to do crafts. She could take a handful of pop bottle caps and a skein of yarn and crochet a pot holder in the form of a Christmas tree or in the shape of a bunch of grapes. Clarence worked hard to provide for her. He drove a well by hand and installed hot and cold running water. Although they still had the outhouse, at least the endless pile of clothes and diapers could be washed on the back porch in the old ringer washer and hung on the line.

On Nov. 25 1954 a daughter was born, Cynthia Arlayne. Rosalee’s nest expanded and her roots grew deep. She poured her heart and soul into her children with Clarence by her side. One more completed her brood when on May 22, 1957, Julia Eileen came into the world. Rosalee’s compassion and love grew right along with her children. As they grew to self-sufficient adults, they learned to share their mother’s nest with every stray cat, dog, or kid in the neighborhood. No one or nothing was ever turned away.

Richard once brought in a baby squirrel that had fallen out of an old rotten tree he knocked down in the woods. Rosalee put it in a shoebox with an old rag for a bed and bottle fed it and nurtured it. Rocky the squirrel, otherwise known as Rocket George Jonah Jamison Squirrel Fulton, thrived till the following spring as a pet but became restless. Richard took him for a walk every day until he never came back. No one was ever allowed to hunt squirrel in the woods again.

Although there were tears and troubles and toils, they were always drowned out by the laughter, lots of laughter. She was proud that her house was coined “The Fulton Funny Farm”.  Anyone who she touched will remember the laughter. She became the Mother Goose for everyone. Those soft down wings and that big heart made every person she touched feel worthy and wanted if only for a while.

Countless nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends came and went. They all found refuge under her wings. A neighbor boy, Donald Hinshaw, always seemed to know when she brewed her sun tea. He would show up at her door and drink a gallon or more. She accused him of being able to smell it from 2 miles away! He was never turned away. One time, Cindy brought a classmate from Jamaica home with her for Christmas by the name of Beryl Miller. Beryl was a student from God’s Bible College in Cincinnati where they both attended. Berle couldn’t afford to go home for Christmas and faced a lonely empty campus until everyone returned. Rosalee’s passion at that time was making cloth dolls with button eyes and embroidered noses and mouths. Beryl wanted one of those dolls but it had to be black like her. Rosalee found some dark brown material that suited Beryl, and she got a doll for Christmas! It snowed a lot that year, and Beryl had never seen snow. She ran out without a coat or hat but only for a little while! Rosalee outfitted her with Clarence’s hat, coat, boots and gloves, and with the help of Cindy and probably Rosalee they made a snowman. Beryl was so exited! Rosalee Snapped a picture of Beryl looking every bit like a bag Lady from New York City in her ill fitted clothes next to the snowman grinning from ear to ear, her blackness contrasting in the white snow.  Rosalee lived for such moments.  Later that year when Rosalee and Clarence visited Cindy at God’s Bible School Beryl came bounding down the stairs and insisted that they come see her room. There in the middle of the bed was that doll, her prized possession. Those loving wings of Rosalee stretched all the way to Jamaica!

One day while coming home from work Richard picked up a hitchhiker named Ted Tollard. Ted had the biggest ears Richard had ever seen! Ted was so gaunt from lack of food he was skin and bones, so his ears were personified. Ted was a migrant worker from Arkansas down on his luck and between jobs. He was taken home to Rosalee, for Richard knew he would not be turned away. With a lot of reservations she took him in. Clarence gave him odd jobs and Rosalee proceeded to feed him back to health. Ted loved her beef stew but only ate a little the first time. You see, he hadn’t eaten for three days and knew it would make him sick.  He was no stranger to hunger, but he later made up for the stew he didn’t eat! The next year Rosalee and Clarence were headed to Mark and Florence Stern’s house for a Mother’s Day dinner when they saw this man with the biggest ears they ever saw! Of course, it was Ted! They picked him up and took him to the dinner.  Oh, those wings!

Another glimpse of those wings was when Eunice Riley came to live with them.  Eunice had served the Lord all her life but found herself without family and dying of cancer. Rosalee and Clarence took her in and made her last days as comfortable as possible. Rosalee also took her own Mother Leota Bannon under her wings when she got cancer.  She cared for her mother until she went to be with Jesus. Oh, those wings!

Grandchildren were her delight.  A full length novel could be written about their memories but not here and not now. But they all know the power of those wings.  Her brood all left the nest one by one but none ever got out from under those wings.

There are so many stories to tell that we could be here till this time tomorrow. If you have one, please don’t feel left out or in any way diminished by the omission.  Everyone she touched was better for knowing her. One more story, and we must go. The Harris family Celeste, Violet and Wesley were attending Union Bible College in Westfield. They were from Idaho and needed lodging for the school years they attended.  Clarence and Rosalee took them in. They called her their surrogate Mother. Anyone who spent that much time on the “Funny Farm” was family.  When it was time for them to leave Clarence and Rosalee took them home to Idaho to meet their real parents. The following is an excerpt from a letter written by their mother, Jane Harris, to Clarence and Rosalee when she found out that Rosalee was sick.

I’ve been thinking of you folks this morning and all of the good times we’ve had together.  We’ve lived far, far, apart but those good times are red letter times in my memory!  I cannot, in my thoughts, put you anywhere but Westfield.  Westfield is Clarence and Rosalee! When Celeste was ready to come home in 1978, you welcomed her into your home and when we arrived that same spring, we found real friends.  We hear of instant coffee and instant everything else, nearly, but not Instant Friends!  And I’m sure it doesn’t happen often.  Much has changed since those days.  But, so many happy memories remain.

The trip together up through the Black Hills and through the craters of the moon (where the park man threatened to arrest Clarence if he took a “moon rock”! Remember?)  Then you’re several trips out to Idaho–what fun we had! Thirty one years ago this spring, it was, when you folks came into our lives.  God has been good to us along the way, hasn’t He?

Rosalee, you were always so much fun and had so many funny things up your sleeve.  We have appreciated you and loved you both as very special friends.  Close friends, though far away.

And since those days, so many things have changed for all of us.  Age has crept up on us, sickness has come, Art left us, but through it all, our Blessed Savior promises to never leave nor forsake us.  Life does seem to be full of trials, reverses and heavy loads, but we always have our happy memories.

On May 26, 1949, Rosalee graduated from high school, and on May 26, 2009, 60 years to the day, she graduated magna cum laude to the greatest honor bestowed to mankind, and that is to be with God in Heaven.  When you get there, you will not have to find her for her wings no longer have the constriction of time and space.  If you were one of those who were ever hungry or in need, or lonely and troubled, she will be waiting to comfort you and make you laugh.  Oh, how she will make you laugh!