Aunt, niece active in Masonic groups

10/24/2009

Memorial services will be at 4 p.m. today in the Newcomer Funeral Home for Carma Christine Fulghum, 69, and her aunt, Martha Jacobs, 96, who were killed Oct. 11 near Barnsdall, Okla., when an oncoming pickup hit their minivan.

Visitation begins at noon.

Miss Fulghum and Mrs. Jacobs, who lived together for decades in West Toledo, were traveling with Levonne Gantt, 67, and Norma Otterstetter, 84, who also died.

Miss Fulghum was a guidance counselor when she retired in 2001 from Sylvania schools. She taught at Arbor Hills Junior High and was Sylvania's 1989 Teacher of the Year. She had coached track, girls basketball, and intramural football.

"There are a number of good teachers here, and I'm not so sure I do anything different," Miss Fulghum told The Blade in 1989.

An Ottawa Hills High grad, she received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Toledo.

Mrs. Jacobs was born in Bryan. She and her late husband, Charles, ran a Pure Oil gas station on Alexis and Douglas roads.

Both women were active in Masonic organizations, including Eastern Star.

"They took care of each other," said Catherine Guzman, Mrs. Jacobs' granddaughter and Miss Fulghum's cousin.

Surviving Miss Fulghum are her brother, Bill; sisters, Carol Spieker and Grace McCreary, and stepbrother, Mike Reynolds.

Surviving Mrs. Jacobs are five grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren, and 19 great-great-grandchildren.

The family suggests tributes to the Diabetes Research Fund or the Arbor Hills scholarship fund.