Lee John Fultz
Lee John Fultz was known by many people for many different things. To some, he was a father; to others, a teacher; to many, a gourd maker. But to all, he was a seed planter.
He was born in Harrisburg, Illinois on October 10, 1935 to Lee John Fultz and Agnes (Garriott) Fultz. He was the youngest of four children, and the only boy so he was never without attention! He did not stay in Illinois for long, though. Just about two weeks after Lee John was born, his family moved to Salem, Indiana, where his father was taking the position as the county agent.
Because he spent much time on the family farm (now the Jean & Marvin Day farm) near Harristown in Washington County, it came as no surprise that the older he got, the more Lee John enjoyed being in the dirt. Throughout his childhood and young adult years, he farmed alongside his father. Later, as an adult, Lee John cultivated an even greater love for agricultural activities, eventually turning what was once considered "work" into a passionate hobby.
Prior to those years, though, Lee John enjoyed a childhood full of creativity and fun. The Fultz family lived in a small neighborhood very close to the fairgrounds in Salem. They had many neighbors, with whom they were close friends. (Which meant that Lee John did not have to be stuck playing with his sisters all of the time!) Often, kids all throughout the neighborhood would get together to play, and end up on wild adventures.
During the warmer months, boys of all ages would scour through their toys and dad's garages, looking for wire and boards, string and metal whatever they could find because it was derby time! They would use all of the supplies that they could gather to create the ultimate soapbox derby car. Then, one weekend, the whole town would come together to watch the race. Thinking back to that time, Mary Kay Fultz, Lee John's wife, says, "Some of the cars were really neat But then some of them were real funny, too!"
However, it was not all fun and play for Lee John. His parents were advocates for an education, and made sure that Lee John always understood the value of it, as well. So, Lee John always enjoyed and was dedicated to his schooling. But an education is not all that he gained there he also found a new identity!
During his elementary years, Lee John was easily recognized as the tall boy with a red flat-top. He was also an athlete, having played baseball and basketball for many years. He was John Fultz. But just a short while into his high school career, a new "John Fultz" came to Salem. He, too, was a tall, red-headed athlete. It didn't take long for this to get confusing! So, to solve the problem, his teacher asked John to go by Lee John, so that she could tell the two apart. And from that point on, it stuck! However, from time to time, the question is still heard throughout town, "Now which John Fultz was that?"
Lee John graduated from Salem High School in 1953 and went on to study at Purdue University, in West Lafayette. After completing his undergraduate degree, he returned to his hometown to teach in the fall of 1957. He worked at S.H.S in education for four decades, first as the industrial arts teacher. After he had received his master's degree in counseling, he began working as a guidance counselor in the school and later, as the Director of Guidance. It was during these years that Lee John really began to plant seeds.
Mary Kay says that "he loved helping kids with their schooling and life plans." As an educator, Mr. Fultz was able to get to know individual students and their passions. They would often come to him for advice about their college and career paths, and he would go the extra mile to help them. Mary Kay says that she remembers him personally calling the admissions offices at different universities, letting them know that he was sending a student their way. "He always encouraged them to go a little bit further than what they were planning, so that they could realize their fullest potential."
Although Lee John retired from the school in 1997, he continued to see the impact that he had for many more years. One day, he heard from a former student of his. She originally had intended to only obtain certification for the first level of nursing, but Mr. Fultz had encouraged her to not limit herself and pursue more. She came in contact with him years later and thanked him for his encouragement. It was because of Lee John that many students, including his own children, did more than they ever dreamed they could.
In addition to teaching, Lee John also sowed seeds by being a counselor at Hoosier Boys State for many years. There, he was able to teach high-school boys from all parts of Indiana the beauty of patriotism and the importance of loving and supporting their country. Although he never saw most of these boys again, he undoubtedly had an impact on them throughout that week of summer camp.
But as much as he loved planting these seeds of self-betterment, he also loved planting physical seeds as well particularly gourd seeds! In adulthood, Lee John continued to use the agricultural skills that he developed growing up. He was an avid gardener who loved to "play in the dirt," remarked Mary Kay. One year, when he noticed an empty space in their garden, he told his wife, "We need to plant something there!" Before she knew it, gourds were sprouting up like wildflowers! "It felt like we had to go out each morning and pull the vines back home, they grew so fast!" laughed Mary Kay.
The more the gourds grew, the more interested Lee John became. His gourds became his prized possessions. Every year he would plant the seeds and then wait all throughout the winter months for the gourds to be cured and ready for crafting. Once they were dry, the possibilities were endless!
Lee John entered many contests with his gourds. Once, he was competing nationally for the title of largest gourd. When it came time to measure and weigh, he realized that he had a problem the gourd was too big for him to weigh at home! So, after barely getting it into the car, he made his way to the veterinarian's office, where he sat the gourd on a large scale to be measured. Although he did not win that round, he did not give up on his craft. He and Mary Kay continued to travel to many different states, participating in festivals and classes. Lee John made the gourds into anything from birdhouses to baskets and his touch can be found for generations to come in these wonderful creations.
Amidst all of these different activities, Lee John never neglected to plant seeds in one of the most important areas of his life: his family. Lee John had two daughters from a prior marriage, Cheryl and Jennifer, when he married Mary Kay in 1978. At that point, he welcomed his step-sons, Ken and Kurt Barrett, into his life, as well. Mary Kay says of Lee John, "He always pushed our children and made sure that they truly believed they could do anything they wanted to do in life." She recalls that he loved teaching his boys and always answered his children's questions with very straight-forward answers. Because of this influence, all of their children went on to receive successful educations and careers.
Aside from being an encourager at home, though, Lee John was also a construction worker. He loved to build and remodel things. When the kids would come home from college to visit, they could nearly always expect to see some sort of project going on in the house. Whether that was knocking out a wall, fixing the dryer door, or remodeling the kitchen, Lee John was always working on something. These mini construction zones became known to the family as the "hard-hat area."
When he wasn't hard at work on a project, Lee John could often be found outside with his 1965 bright red Mustang, playing golf with his buddies, or cheering on his favorite team and alma mater, Purdue. He also liked to go camping and water-skiing, which was always a cause for the entire family to get together at the lake.
While there were undoubtedly many more seeds that he would have loved to plant, Lee John was faced with aggressive cancer in 2005 and passed away just a short ten months later on May 3, 2006.
Throughout his life, Lee John Fultz carried out the heritage that he had been given. It had been passed down to him through the generations, a duty to improve the way of life for himself, his family, and other people in any way that he could. Many of the seeds that he planted have already sprouted; however, many are still growing, just waiting to blossom.
Because of a Touch Tomorrow fund that was created with the Washington County Community Foundation in his honor, the seeds that Lee John Fultz planted will continue to be watered well into the future and he will be able to have an impact for good and forever in Washington County.
