Oct. 5, 1921 ~ Feb. 1, 2022
Estella Margret Fulton passed away peacefully on Feb. 1, 2022.
Marge was born to William and Stella Findlay in Rifle, Colorado, on Oct. 5, 1921. The family lived in Parachute, Colorado, and she joined her siblings Jim, George, Charley, Ernie and Mary (Eliasen). Later she had two younger brothers, Donald and Fred. She, living to 100 years old, survived all her siblings.
Marg grew up in and around Meeker, Colorado, where she met her husband Robert Fulton. They were married Feb. 15, 1947, and Bob was sworn in as Rio Blanco County Sheriff at that time so they combined their honeymoon with the National Sheriff’s Convention in Denver.
In the spring of 1954, Bob, Marg and three children, Judy, Bev and Tom, moved to the YZ Ranch on the South Fork of the White River. Bob was the ranch foreman but Marg made the ranch run smoothly by feeding any stray cowboy who sat at her table, there were times when there were over 15 hungry young men she was feeding three hearty meals a day.
She added two delightful children to the family in 1959 and 1961, Jim and Sheri. There was also a move from Meeker to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where Bob was Chief of Police. Marg loved life in Glenwood. She was the Welcome Wagon Representative, worked at the Coast to Coast store, and belonged to a sorority that preformed many civic duties.
Her life completely took a turn in April 1969. Bob, Marg, Tom, Jim and Sheri — along with all their worldly goods — got in a Dodge van and headed North, no, not to Alaska but to Toad River, British Columbia, Canada. They bought a Lodge on the Alaska Highway and she immediately put her culinary skills to work feeding 100s of brave souls traveling that bumpy, twisting, basically gravel road to Alaska. Marg formed lifelong friendships while in that far North country.
Bob and Marg retired and sold Toad River Lodge in 1977. They built a house on land they retained by a little lake, which provided daily entertainment watching moose, swans and ducks out the big kitchen window.
Bob passed away in June 1992. Marg continued to spend her summers at Toad River, her favorite place on Earth. She only missed going one summer, 2020, due to a broken hip, but was right back in May 2021 sitting in her porch swing ready to have coffee with whoever came by for a chat. She was even asking to go again a week before she passed even though it was 40 degrees below zero, she would have gladly packed her little bag and gone “Just One More Time”!
Estella Margret lived an astonishing life, filled with people she loved and dearly loved her in return. She once mentioned to family that she had not really accomplished anything important and we assured her that she collected people and made each and everyone who sat with her a while know they were special, deserved respect and were loved. Now, that’s an amazing accomplishment in our book.
Marg is survived by five children, Judy Fleming, of Fort Saint John, British Columbia; Beverly White and her spouse Floyd of Green Valley, Arizona; Tom Fulton and his spouse Cec of Toad River, British Columbia; Jim Fulton and his spouse Kanina of Toad River, British Columbia; and Sheri Fulton and Gary Dresser of Fort Saint John, British Columbia. She has eight surviving grandchildren (one preceded her in death), 12 great-grandchildren, and five great- great-grandchildren.
Our grief today will pass on to beautiful memories of a life well lived!
It was such a pleasure to meet and visit with “nana” as she was such a special lady. I wish their was more time to hear her stories but I know the love she shared with my family and she will be dearly remembered. My condolences to all the family. Dorothy and mike woodward