Our President's Report
The Fulbright News did a telephone interview with President Gerald Fulbright who gave us the following column. I actually wrote as we talked. The column is as close as possible to Gerald's actual words, but is not fully verbatim. Gerald is terribly busy right now. He does well to take the time to do his column this way. He is doing his own farm work, operating a new business in Batesville, working for ConAgra, working as the chairman of at least two major charities, and doing a dozen other things. If I call on Sunday, he is at church for both morning and evening services. He is busy!
--David
I had an idea when I was first elected President of the Fulbright Family Association that I believe is valid, but we haven't done anything with it yet. I mentioned in my first address to the family reunion in Springfield that I wondered about the possibility of our family members having area meetings between reunions.
As I look back at what has happened since our Batesville Reunion, I believe that we could have had a gathering of family members in Arkansas. It would not have been a major family reunion, but for those of us who are interested in the Fulbright Family Association and the history and genealogy of our family, I believe that it would have been profitable and pleasant. I am still thinking about doing that.
If any of you do have such a gathering in your immediate area, please let me know how it goes. It seems to me that such meetings would offer encouragement and activity to our members, between the larger reunions. It could be a time to enjoy one another, share information, and build interest in the next major reunion.
Think about it. Let me know what you think. In the meantime, I am looking forward to seeing all of you having a wonderful time in North Carolina. Don't forget the dates, we can visit and enjoy one another on June 27, 28, and 29. See you there!
--Gerald Fulbright
Gerald had other news that seemed very important to me. I thought you too might like to know these things. First, an interesting fact was overlooked at the Batesville, Arkansas Family Reunion this summer. Most of us did not know that Gerald Fulbright had just opened a new Ford, New Holland dealership in Batesville. He and a partner own and operate the tractor and equipment dealership. The business had been open only a week at the time of the reunion. Gerald continues to work full time for ConAgra in Batesville and also maintains a cattle operation that is too large and too much work to be a mere hobby. The evening he gave us copy for this newsletter, he had another hour's work to feed his cattle.
Second, Gerald had sad news of a loss in his own family. A staunch supporter of our reunions has passed away. Gerald informed us that his aunt, Lorraine Roberson, passed away on November 3, 1996 in her home. She had been to every reunion since the first one in Springfield, Missouri. Mrs. Roberson was born on December 23, 1910 in Izard County, Arkansas, at the family home near Mt. Pleasant. Her husband, Cecil, preceded her in death. She is survived by her two brothers, Harry Fulbright, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, and Corlis Fulbright Sherrill, of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
--by David Fulbright