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, her brothers and sisters, and her 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 sixty-two magical years together. Eustis join the Army Air Corp at the beginning of World War II. 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 eighteen 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 and wife Barb of Grand Junction, CO, Faye Black and husband Jerry of Ft. Walton Beach, FL; her grandchildren, Shannon Fulton and husband Eric Wilson, Ramsey Fulton and wife Colby, Molly Black and husband Mitch Powdermaker, Becky Blank and husband Kevin, Allison Black, Chris Morstad and wife Kari, and Phil Morstad and wife Karla; and her 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 pm 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.
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