Karen DeLane Fulkerson

Live Stream Link for Memorial Service
Friday, August 1, 2025 1:00 PM (Pacific)\
Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76069417273?pwd=z1bDxGEPEffNPsyGs5v8J6NiZaIUue.1
Meeting ID: 760 6941 7273
Passcode: Karen

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Karen DeLane Townsley Fulkerson was born July 6, 1961 at 4:38pm in Fresno, California. She was 20.5 inches long and 6 lbs. 8 oz. She passed away on July 1, 2025 at approximately 5:00am in Fair Oaks, California. Length and weight specs no longer important. She was just 5 days short of her 64th birthday.

Her spirit lives on in her parents, Alvin and Barbara, her brothers, Mark and Darren, her children, Fred, Suzy, and Sam, her grandchildren, Camie, Faye, Wesley, and Wiley, and her countless friends, all who loved her dearly.

Those dates, in and of themselves, are not important; though we will remember them always. It is the space in between them where her story lies. Here are just a few of those stories.

Karen started walking on her first birthday.

After growing past her favorite hobby of chewing on windowsills, Karen was enrolled in dance class at 3 years old. At her first dance recital it was noted that all participants seemed to be out of step together except for her. She was dancing to her own tune. Perhaps this was not her hobby.

She once saw her Dad using her baby bathtub to wash the car and asked if he was going to take a bath in it. Perhaps physics would not be her strong suit.

A little bit older, Karen was enrolled in piano lessons. She took to this quite well and loved it. She never had to be coerced to practice. She genuinely enjoyed playing and had a life-long ability to play, although she didn’t get the opportunity as much in her later years. This was, indeed, her hobby.

On one family trip to Louisiana we all went fishing and she caught a sizable catfish. She was so disappointed when it had disappeared from the bucket the next morning as she really want to bring it home to California and keep it as a pet. Perhaps fishing would not be her thing.

When Karen was a high school freshman she tried out for and made the flag team as part of marching band. She remained part of the team all through high school. She got to go to Washington D.C. and marched in the Cherry Blossom Festival and in her senior year she choreographed part of the routine they used in field shows. She was a leader.

When Karen had her first child, Fred, her Mom was so impressed with her at how much patience she had as a new mother. She seemed to know what she was doing on her first try. This may have been her calling. She was a great mother and adored all of her kids.

Karen was beloved at all her jobs over the years. She made friends easily. At one of her last jobs as an Executive Assistant she was in charge of the company Christmas party. The employees loved her parties and gave her the name Elferson (a riff on her last name – Fulkerson). Each year they looked forward to an “Elferson” party.

As the oldest sibling, Karen was the first to do many things. She was a bit of a pioneer for the three of us. She was the first to graduate high school, the first to drive a car, the first to move out of the house, the first to get married. She is the first to walk through the mystery and into the loving arms of God. We will miss her dearly.

Karen was surrounded by family and much love in her final days. She got the chance to see most of the important people in her life. Her hospice nurses complimented the family on how we took care of her in those days.

My phone rang at about 5:30am on the morning of July 1st. It was my brother to tell me our Angel finally got her wings. That is how I will remember her – as an Angel.

Please wear color!! Karen would not want us to be in all black. 
Wear your color to celebrate such a colorful and vibrant person!