The coastland times., 1956-11-30
By AYCOCK BROWN

coke native who had sailed the sew
en- seas in a Russian bark before
he was 10 years old, and later be-
came a Methodist minister, has
just moved to The Hermitage,
Methodist home for retired clergy
men in Richmond. There he plans
to spend the afternoon of his life
with Mrs. Fulcher, the former Miss
Elizabeth Cornog of Philadelphia,
who before their marriage, had
been a teacher of voice, and music
director in several churches of the
Quaker City.
The present Mrs. Fulcher is his
second wife. His first was the late
Miss Fanny Balance of Ocracoke
whom he had married when he was
10 years of age and just after he
had completed his trip around the
world on the Russian bark. The
first Mrs. Fulcher had died in 1887,
snd from his first marriage there
were five children, Mrs. Raymond
Pate, Rocky Mount, N. c., Harry
Fulcher who died at the age of four
years, Mrs. Mildred F. Dryden, al
so deceased, and John U. Fulcher
and Mrs. Lizette Cochran, who both
now live in Sanford on the Eastern
Shore of Virginia where the Rev.
and Mrs. Fulcher have resided
since retiring from the ministry
nine years ago.
His parents on Ocracoke, where
he was born January %, 1878, We're
William H. and Mary Gaskins Full
cher. He attended school on the is
land but at the age of II, when
most youngsters are still concern
ed with school, he was sailing be-
fore the mast on coastwise schoon-
ers plying between North Carolina
ports, Florida, the West Indies and
as far north as New Brunswick.
He made his first trip across the
Atlantic at the age of II as first
officer on a Russian ship bound
from Brunswick, Ca, to Hamburg,
Germany. Before reaching America
again, he had sailed to Sidney, Aus
tralia by the way of the Cape of
Good Hope and to Holland by way
of Cape Horn.
Back home and married he set
tied down to raising a family. Dur
ing this period while serving as
superintendent of a Sunday School
and Church Steward, Frank Treet,
as the Ocracokers still call him,
felt the urge to enter thesministry.
He was an evangelist for three
years, 1906 to 1908 and during that
time took correspondence courses
to increase his education. In 1908
and 1909 he had a course under a
DR.. Croswell at Stonewall, N. C.
Later he attended Drew Theologi-
cal Seminary at Madison, N. ]. and
then took courses at Emory Uni
VefSlty In georgia,
His first charge was the Pamlico
Circuit, New Bern District, when
he was appointed as a supply by
Bishop Wilson in 1908. He was or
dained a deacon in the Southern
Methodist Church by Bishop Denny
in 1912 and at the conclusion of
his course at Emory, was an elder
at Norfolk in 1924. He served Pam
lico Circuit for two years, Colds
horo Circuit for two years and
Rocky Mount Circuit for one year,
While living in Rocky Mount he
was a policeman and also in the
mercantile business,
In 1917, during World War I,
he volunteered for service overseas
chasing submarines. The war was
over before his tour of training
was completed. He then went to
Parmele Church in Robson Coun-
ty, N. C. and later to st. Paul's
charge near Statesville. Then he
transferred to the Virginia Confer
ence and his first charge was Whal-
eyville at a salary of $3.50 pei
year. Later he preached for four
years at Portsmouth, Va. and in
1929 was transferred to the POGO