David Albert Fulton, 91, passed peacefully into the strong arms of Jesus in the early hours of Saturday, March 15, 2025. The family was blessed to have him in his daughter’s home for the final few days of the journey as he stepped over the threshold and into the glorious light of Heaven.
Dave was born on April 4, 1933, in Sparta, IL, to Florence (Lewis) Fulton and Dwight Albert Fulton. He grew up on the family dairy farm, learning early the ethic of hard work and focus on the task at hand. Grade school years were spent at the Hays one-room school house down the road, which he walked to and from a mile every day. He was, thankfully, allowed to ride the plow horse during exceptionally bad winter weather. He graduated from Sparta High School, excelling in basketball, and then attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. There he studied Agriculture Education, and played a year of college ball before focusing on studies.
It was at Iowa State that Dave met and fell for Jo Pippa Stephenson the first day they attended statistics class together, which he referred to as ‘sadistics’ class. The couple were married September 1, 1956, beginning a life-long journey together which would last over 65 years. He went on to receive a Masters in Ag Ed and taught at ISU. After serving in the Army at Ft. Sill, OK, specializing in artillery, he was honorably discharged with the rank of captain. The early years brought a few moves for the couple with their two young children, Dwight David Fulton and Lori Lynne (Fulton) Nowack. Now in the agriculture feed industry, Dave quickly advanced through positions into management. He got on with Farmland Industries in north Kansas City, MO, and the family made their home in Liberty. He held numerous positions at Farmland, in management of sales, marketing, and government relations.
As the saying goes, you can take the boy off the farm but you can’t take the farm out of the boy, so Dave and Jo bought first a small farm north of Liberty. In a few years they traded up to a larger farm outside of Kearney, MO, where they built the house he and Jo would call home for over 50 years. Retiring from Farmland after 33 years was just the beginning, as Dave turned to baling hay on the farm, a passion which fueled him until he reluctantly ‘retired’ at age 89.
Dave loved to hunt and fish, take the family camping at the lake or in the mountains, and tour the countryside with Jo, usually by motorcycle. Simply being on the farm, daily walking the trails, brought him closer to God. He served several years on the Clay County planning and zoning committee. For most of their time in Kearney, he was active and regularly attended Arley United Methodist Church. There he served and led various committees, and taught an adult Sunday School class for many years. For almost 25 years his love of God ignited a deep commitment to serve in prison ministry at the penitentiary in Cameron, MO. There he led numerous Kairos events, Bible studies, and group ministries. Many can attest to the souls won for Christ through the love shared with them by Dave and the team he worked with. He will be remembered for his positive mental attitude, can-do approach to problem solving, hard work ethic, love of family, and relentless pursuit of Christ.
Dave is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Eleanor (Fulton) Hammel, and by loving wife Jo.
He is survived by his son, Dwight (and Susan), of Round Rock, TX; daughter, Lori (and Mark), of Branson, MO; grandchildren, Sarah (Fulton, and Steve) Bovio and Rebekah Fulton; grandchildren, Phoebe, Hannah, Stephen (and Lauren), Margaret, Carl, and Hope Nowack; and three great-grandchildren, Jo, Otto, and Miriam Nowack.
Visitation will be held at Arley Church on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., followed immediately by the funeral service and interment in the adjoining cemetery. Memorials to the Arley United Methodist Church would be a blessing.
Arrangements are in care of Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Kearney.
