Melba Halbert Fulton
Marriages
Eustis Fulton - 1942
Burial Details
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 4B - January 9, 2020
Melba Halbert Fulton passed
away peacefully on January
7, 2020, in Grand Junction,
Colorado, at the age of 100.
Melba was born in Inverness,
Mississippi on April 5, 1919.
Her parents, Walter Gray and
Fannie Wixson Halbert, had
five children, Walter, Henry
“Cotton”, Melba, Dorothy “Dot” and Faye. Melba was predeceased
by her parents; brothers and sisters, and husband, Eustis, who
passed away in 2005.
Melba graduated from Delhi High School in Delhi, LA in
1936. She attended Whitworth College in Brookhaven, MS, and
graduated from Louisiana State Normal School (Northwestern
State University) in Natchitoches, LA, with a degree in Education.
She received her Master’s Degree in Education from Northeastern
Louisiana (Louisiana Monroe University).
Melba met Eustis Fulton, the love of her life, in Waterproof,
LA, where they both lived. She was attending Normal and he
had returned home from LSU to run the family farm. They were
married in 1942 and spent over 62 magical years together. Eustis
join the Army Air Corp at the beginning of WWII. After the war
they settled in St. Joseph, LA, along with their first child, Richard
Eustis Fulton III “Dick”, who was born in 1945. Their second
child, Melba Faye Fulton, joined them in 1948. In the 1990s, Melba
and Eustis moved to Grand Junction, CO, where Dick practiced
medicine.
Melba was a multitalented individual. She was a beautiful
seamstress, sewing clothes for her children, covers for furniture,
curtains, and eventually clothes and costumes for her grandchildren.
Her Louisiana roots stood out in her cooking with gumbo, etouffee
and the grandkids’ favorite, Nonnie chicken. She organized speech
festivals and directed 18 Senior plays during her many years at
Davidson High School, where she was an English teacher and
librarian. She was also an avid bridge player well into her nineties.
She was a member of the Huguenot Society of America and the
Daughters of the American Revolution, serving as Regent of the
Bruin-Vidal chapter in Louisiana.
Of all her countless accomplishments, Melba treasured her time
teaching high school English the most. She bonded with the many
students as she helped shape them into outstanding individuals.
In 2011, Melba published a book at the age of 92, Window in
Time, which chronicled her life’s story, her forbearers, as well as
her husband’s family in parallel with events in US history.
Melba is survived by her children, Dr. Dick Fulton (Barb) of
Grand Junction, CO; Faye Black (Jerry) of Ft. Walton Beach, FL;
grandchildren, Shannon Fulton (Eric Wilson); Ramsey Fulton
(Colby); Molly Black (Mitch Powdermaker); Becky Blank (Kevin);
Allison Black; Chris Morstad (Kari), and Phil Morstad (Karla),
and great-grandchildren, Perry, Christopher, Porter, Elliott, Oliver,
Kenzie, Brooklyn, Hannah, Chase, Stella, and Ryder.
A celebration of life will be held at The Commons in Grand
Junction, CO, on Sunday, January 12, at 2:00 p.m. in the Garden
Room. Services will be held at a later date in St. Joseph, LA, with
burial in Natchez, MS.
Donations, in memory of Melba, may be made to Christ Episcopal
Church, 120 Hancock St., St. Joseph, LA 71366 or HopeWest
Hospice, 3090B North 12th St., Grand Junction, CO 81506, or to a
charity of your choice.
