Hazelton Express

Saturday, September 12, 1896

Page 5 Column 2

Obituary

On Monday morning, Sept 7th 1896, this community was shocked by the startling news that J.  C.  Fullerton had died very suddenly from heart trouble.  He had not been well for some time, but no one had thought that he was in the least danger.  Mr. Fullerton was born at Pleasant Hope, Polk County, Mo., in 1843, and was a little over 53 years old at the time of his death.  He was converted to Christ and united with the M.  E.  Church, and remain with them until the Presbyterians organized their church at this place, about 1891, when he took his membership from the M.  E.  Church, and united with the church of his first choice. 

We know nothing of his life before he came to Hazelton.  And can only judge of his life there by what we know of it all among us here, and from our very earliest acquaintance with him here, we have ever found him honest and all of his relations with fellow man and in his business relations he would rather give than take one cent from one with who he was doing business.  He was always cheerful and disposed to look on the bright side of everything; he was ever ready to aid and assist in all public enterprises; his advice was always on the side of morality and right.  He was a living example of a consistent follower of his master and instead of saying do so-and-so he set an example for others to follow; and after a business in which he had dealing with all classes of people here for about six years we have yet to hear the first man say that J.  C.  Fullerton had ever tried to take advantage of him in any kind of a business transaction.  He was regarded by all those who knew him as a whole souled, generous kindhearted Christian who had since coming among us and interested with official positions, and had never, in the least, given cause to anyone to complain of his official act; they were all given the same honest and conscientious attention that he gave to even the most trivial affairs of life.  On Saturday evening prior to his death on Monday he was nominated for the office of District clerk of this County and would no doubt have been elected had he lived to the end of next November, for his reputation was not confined to Hazelton but was known all over the county and was spoken of as one of the best men in the county.

He leaves a widow, one son and one daughter, almost, heartbroken, to mourn his sudden demise, also his mother, two brothers R.  W.  and W.  M.  Residing in Hazelton and his brother Rev. B.P. Fullerton engaged in the Ministry in St. Louis, besides a vast number of friends where ever he was known.

I sometimes wonder why it is that our Master should see proper to take from us those that are doing so much for the bettering of humanity, when there are so many that could be spared but then we dare not question the wisdom of him who is the author of our being; and that when we remember that He has promised to care for those that are selected and that what He does is done for our own good, we are constrained to say “Thy will not ours be done.”

A Friend