Obituary: Wilma Fulgham

Wilma Fulgham, age 92, of Clovis, NM passed away on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Visitation was held on Thursday, December 7, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Muffley Funeral Home, 1430 Thornton St., Clovis, NM. Funeral Service were held on Friday, December 8, 2023, at 1:00 pm at Central Baptist Church, 2501 N Norris St., Clovis, NM with Pastor Michael Kirby and Dan Pearce officiating. Burial was held at Mission Garden of Memories, 2900 W. 7th Street, Clovis, NM. Rick Anderson, Jeff Welch, Sylvester Mayfield, Tom Mackanie, Carl Hahn, Jack Muse and Larry Roberts will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearer will be Steve Kerby, Alton Rose, Nelson Rutter, Grubb Howard, Maggie Muse, and Dr. Fred and Kathy Hammill, and all of her Pioneer Days, NFR Friends, and Church Friends.

Wilma grew up on a farm near Melrose in the 1930's. Wilma's parents milked cows and raised chickens in addition to farming land. After moving to Clovis in 1943, she had to work. In junior high, she delivered newspapers on horseback. After graduation from Clovis High School in 1948, she worked as a telephone operator and as a waitress as the Busy Bee Cafe. Much of her free time was spent exercising "top roping horses" for professional calf ropers who spent time in Clovis.

In 1950 Dr. E.E Kraus, a local veterinarian, persuaded Wilma to enter the Curry County Fair Queen contest that would lead to her competing in the first New Mexico State Fair Queen (NMSF) contest which was organized by the State Fair Commissioner E. Lee Frances.

Lena Klebold, a friend, and a Girls Rodeo Association barrel racer helped Wilma prepare for the Curry County contest and the first NMSFQ contest. Wilma had to borrow a horse, and after winning the Curry County title, she had one month to prepare for the state pageant.

The first NMSFQ contest had nineteen contestants, and Wilma won the title as the 1950 NMSFQ. "Winning the 1950 New Mexico State Fair Queen title opened doors that I never knew existed. This experience threw me, a country girl, into the limelight." Fred Harmon author of the Red Ryder Ranch News featured Wilma in his comic book, and actress Greer Garson congratulated Wilma on her title.

The next year Bob Spencer, Chairman of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, asked Wilma to help with the 1951 Curry Cmu1ty Fair Queen contestants. This request led Wilma to be instrumental in preparing young ladies, not only for a rodeo or fair queen titles, but also to be successful in life.

In 1951, Benny Fulgham captured Wilma's heart. Before their marriage, Wilma had worked for Bookey Williams Feed Yards in branding, dipping, and shipping cattle. Her main job was in public relations, which was contacting the cattle buyers at the Clovis Cattle Commission Company and Ranchers & Farmers Livestock Sales Company where cattle were sold four days a week. She made arrangements for the cattle buyers which included branding and shipping their cattle on trucks or railroad. In the early 70's, Benny and Wilma bought the feed yards, and for twenty years, they and their three boys (Garry, Jerry, Larry) continued the business.

In 1954, Wilma earned the title "Mrs. Clovis." She and Benny won a trip to Hollywood, and Wilma was a guest on the television show Queen for a Day.

Through the 1960's, Lynetta Crenshaw and Wilma ran seminars and prepared potential contestants for future queen competitions.

With the fall of the cattle market in 1973, Benny and Wilma formed the B-W Trucking business, and Jerry and Larry continue in trucking industry today.

Because of Wilma's dedication to the cattle industry, she was the 1976 New Mexico Cowbelle of the Year.

In the late 1970' s, Wilma's experience and knowledge of rodeo and queen contests led her to founding and organizing the Pioneer Days Rodeo Queen Pageant and Little Buckaroo Rodeo.

For sixty-four years, Wilma has volunteered and dedicated her time to developing character traits of young ladies who were exemplary examples of the Western Lifestyle. She has worked with nine NMSF winners from Curry County and thirty-one Miss Rodeo New Mexico (MRNM) contestants who attended the Miss Rodeo America pageant. Several MRA contestants attended the seminars and won horsemanship titles.

As the National Director for the MRA in New Mexico, Wilma has influenced young ladies to be women of character not only in the arena but also in their everyday lives. Seeing a need to enhance these contestants' spiritual needs, in 1976 Wilma organized the (MRA) Prayer Breakfast in Oklahoma City which still continues today. In 2008, MRA honored Wilma's dedication to young ladies and inducted her into the MRA Hall of Fame.

Wilma has been a vital member of these organizations: New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association, Ranchmen's Christian Camp Meeting, New Mexico Beef Council, Chairman of the National Beef Cook Off, Committee Member for Curry County Events Center, Chairman of the Annual Duke of the Dutch Ovens Chuck Wagon Cook Off, the longest-standing National Director for MRA in New Mexico, Clovis Chamber of Commerce, and an active member and assistant to the Food Service Coordinator of the Central Baptist Church.

Wilma resides in Clovis with her son, Jerry. Larry and Vicki (daughter-in-law) live in Stigler, Oklahoma, daughter; Joy Batts of Hobbs, NM, sister; Elnora Borden of Colorado, Springs, sisters in law; Diane Vaughn of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Marcella Crabtree of Canyon, TX, nephews; Larry Vaughan and his wife Ainslie, and Lyn Vaughan both of Canyon, TX. Her husband, Benny for over sixty-two years, died on June 13 after his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. His last ride was as the Parade Marshall for the 2014 Pioneers Days Parade. Her son; Garry Wayne Fulgham passed away in 1977, also her daughter; Patricia Kay Fulgham passed away in 1955, brother; Doyle Vaughan, brother in law; Harold Borden deceased.

Special thanks to Retirement Ranch of Clovis, NM.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Muffley Funeral Home, http://www.muffleyfuneralhome.com, (575) 762-4435.