Alfred Van Fulkerson flew peacefully into the arms of the Lord from his home in Sun Valley, Nev., on June 1, 2013, where he was cared for by his loving wife and daughter. Alfred was born at home on Dec. 22, 1926, to Orval Ralph Fulkerson and Ora Belle LaRue Fulkerson in Citrus Heights, Calif.
Alfred joined the U.S. Navy during WWII at age 17, serving aboard a fuel supply ship called the USS Soubarissen in the Pacific Theater. In August 1949, Alfred married Betty Jean Kimbrell. They attended Bible college and then ministered together throughout California and Mexico during the healing revivals in the 1950s before founding and pastoring Christian Believer's Fellowship in Sacramento in 1960. Their daughter, LaNora Ann, was born in 1962. While in California, Alfred took flying lessons and earned his pilot's license.
Alfred moved his family to Alaska in 1974. He worked on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline from 1974 until the early 1980s. He also worked as a carpenter throughout his life, retiring from the Carpenter's Local Union in 1984.
Alfred and Betty pastored together at Delta Christian Center, a church they founded in Delta Junction, until Betty passed away in 1990. Alfred retired from pastoring Delta Christian Center in 1992, and then moved back to California where he met and married Trudy Szymanski Franz in 1993. Alfred and Trudy celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on May 22, 2013, while Alfred was in the hospital.
Alfred was selfless and giving; ministering and loving people were his life-long passions. Though officially retired from the ministry, he and Trudy continued a home Bible study group and Alfred was able to speak into peoples' lives, even as his own earthly life slipped away.
He will be greatly missed by those whose lives he so deeply touched.
Alfred is preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Kimbrell Fulkerson; father, Orval Fulkerson; his mother, Ora Fulkerson; and his brothers, JP "Bud" Fulkerson, and Myron Fulkerson; and his niece, Peggy Mourier.
He is survived by his second wife, Trudy Szymanski Fulkerson, of Sun Valley, Nev.; daughter, LaNora Tolman (Michael), of Fairbanks; grandsons, Abraham Tolman (Abigail), and Noah Tolman, both of Fairbanks; granddaughter, Hosanna Tolman, of Seattle, Wash.; four great-grandchildren; sisters in California, Elnora (Bob) Purtel, Mary Lee, and Lois Mourier; three step-children, Wendy Crews (Danny), of Cantonment, Fla.; Marcey Amin, of Antelope, Calif.; Bobby Franz (Mishal), of Rocklin, Calif.; and numerous spiritual sons and daughters spread around the globe.
Alfred's internment took place at Sylvan Cemetery in his birth town of Citrus Heights, Calif.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Memorial Fund for Alfred Fulkerson at Great Basin Federal Credit Union in Sparks, Nevada.