W. Carol Fulgham Pittman Loden
W. Carol Fulgham Pittman Loden, 72, passed away on November 1, 2021 at her residence in Starkville, MS. She was a homemaker and member of Self Creek Bible Baptist Church. Anyone that came into her home became her family and was loved.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie “Lavell” Fulgham and Hazel Christine Fulgham; husbands James “Jesse” Pittman and Eddie Ray Loden; sister, Myrna Eidson; and brother, David Fulgham; and grandsons, Anthony “Connor” Vance and Daniel Ansley.
She is survived by her children, Jessie Carol Wall (Joe), Victoria Anderson (Anthony), Jennifer Ansley (Tim), and Jamie Pittman; grandchildren, Kayla Wall Edwards (Chris Duffie), Alysha Schaefer (Jeremiah), Ashley Anderson, James Lavell Strange, Brooke Martin (Sean), Erik Vance, Erin Victoria Vance, Jessie Leigh Ansley, Hartly Campbell, Joey Ansley, and Kaylee Anderson; and great grandchildren, Kenzi Duffie, Macee Edwards, Bailey Rae Schaefer and Lilly Kate Schaefer.
The funeral service will be held on Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. in the Welch Funeral Home chapel in Starkville, MS. Rev. Melvin Mordecai and Rev. Mike Weldon will conduct the service. Burial will be at Clear Springs Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Maben.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-9929.
You can leave the family a condolence at: www.welchfuneralhomes.com. ones, on October 31, 2021. She was the fifth child of William Ray and Mary Manglass Runnels. Pat lived most of her life in Starkville and was a 1974 graduate of Starkville High School.
Retired from Mississippi State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, and from the Laird Clinic of Family Medicine, Pat spent the last years of her life simply being “Gamma” to her beloved grandchildren.
Pat is preceded in death by her parents, and by her brother, Tom Runnels. She is survived by her children, Sam (Lindsey) Wilkes and Scott Wilkes (Dawn Gwathney); her grandchildren Mary Reagan, Toland and Tinley Wilkes, and Ethan Clark; and her siblings Liz (Peter) Rook, Kenny (Theresa) Runnels, Jim (Aimee) Runnels, and Barbara (Eddie) Coats. Pat is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
At Pat’s request, there will be no service. Her family will celebrate her life together with much laughter and many shared stories. For those wishing to do so, donations can be made to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society, or to the charity of your choice.
You can leave the family a condolence at: www.welchfuneralhomes.com.
Cedar Falls, now Northern Iowa University.
Ethel moved on to Iowa State University, graduating in 1940 with a degree in Food and Nutrition. While at Iowa State, she worked in the dietetic department for women’s dormitories. At a dance in the Home Economics building, she was asked to dance by a shy Mississippian, Arlie Wilson, who had graduated from Mississippi State and was in graduate school at Iowa State. They were married on August 30 in 1941 at the Collegiate Methodist Church in Ames, Iowa.
Arlie was an Army officer in the Public Health Service in WW2, and his assignments had them living in several states during the war, first in New York City, then at Rutgers University in New Jersey and in Little Rock, Arkansas. They settled in Starkville in 1948 when Arlie joined the faculty of the Entomology Department at MSU. There they remained, celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary in 2011.
She and Arlie enjoyed birdwatching at Noxubee Wildlife Refuge, camping trips, attending MSU sports, and international travel. Her two daughters and their families treasure the memories of family trips and gatherings with her and Arlie. Over the years, Ethel and Arlie entertained MSU students from a number of countries in their home.
Ethel was a lifelong active member of the United Methodist Church, with strong dedication to the United Methodist Women and strong support of the Wesley Foundation. She was a longtime member of the Wesley Fellowship Sunday School class and served on numerous committees of the church. She continued to attend Sunday services faithfully until her mobility was impaired, and looked forward each week to the televised Sunday worship service.
She was a member of the Homemakers Club, the Home Economists in Home and Community (HEHC) club, AARP, NARFE, the Oktibbeha County Forest Farmers Association, and the Mississippi Forestry Association (MFA). When she renewed her membership in May of this year, her birth year of 1915 caught everyone’s attention and that led to her being featured in the Summer 2021 edition of Tree Talk, the MFA magazine.
The family enjoyed hearing her tell of her experiences as an Iowa farm girl, a young bride in New York City, her transition into Mississippi, and her RV trips with Arlie. Her long lifespan took her not only through Covid, but also through the Spanish Flu. Ethel was able to live into her last year of life in her own house, with compassionate care of Elaine and Mae.
Ethel was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Mabel Chatterton Phillips of Olin IA, her sister Marie (Al) Schneck of Gibson City IL, and by her devoted husband, Arlie. She is survived by her brother Earl (Jeanne) Phillips of Iowa City IA, her two daughters - Emilie (Joe) Thompson of Starkville and Wanda (Michael) Ebers of Clinton TN, two grandchildren – Mardi (Jonathan) Hasson of Birmingham AL, Dustin (Rosy) Ebers of Plano IL, step-grandson - Douglass Thompson of Starkville, and four great grandchildren – Sarah and Clara Hasson, Ethan and Lola Ebers.
Visitation will be at 1:00 on Sunday, November 7, at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville, with the funeral to follow in the Welch Funeral Home Chapel at 2:00. Burial will be at Memorial Garden Park Cemetery in Starkville.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church (200 West Lampkin Street, Starkville MS 39759) or to the MSU Wesley Foundation (Box MY, Mississippi State, MS 39762).
You can leave the family a condolence at: www. welchfuneralhomes.com.