Ada Beverly Love Fulton

Ada Beverly Love Fulton died on April 3, 2019 at the age of 92 at IHC Hospital in Murray, Utah. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 15, 1927 to Louis Ostler and Ada Gillette Love. From an early age, Bev loved being involved in all sorts of activities at school, in the community, and at church. She was happiest organizing and carrying out masterful plans she’d helped make for school programs, musical numbers, and – one of her most enjoyable – roadshows. She always loved to read which enlightened and fed her curious mind. She loved reading Gothic romances, war and intrigue, and books which helped her learn about cultures other than her own. She was an excellent student graduating from South High School in 1944.
Far and above everything else, Beverly loved her family. She was devoted to her little brother, Gerald, often defending him from those who were unkind to him. She adored and emulated her parents. She loved learning about her heritage, especially those relatives who had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Scotland and England. She had a great love of her cousins and was thrilled to spend time with them on Sunday visits.
With the encouragement of her Grandma Emily Love, Beverly developed a great love of the Book of Mormon and a desire to serve a mission among those who might never have had the chance to learn about the Church. She planned to leave as soon as she turned 21 but unfortunately, WWII had caused many young men to delay their missionary service until they were between 21 and 22 years of age, so the church raised the age for women to 23. She was not happy to have to wait even longer than expected to fulfill her desire to serve, but her father reminded her that she had already waited and two more years wasn’t too much to ask.
Her greatest wish was to be called to where her ancestors had come from, so her disappointment was severe when she didn’t get called to the British Isles. Instead, she was called to serve in East Central States (West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee) which tried her resolve once again. Her father reminded her that she wanted to serve the Lord and should go where He called her. And, she did.
Little did she know the Lord’s vitally important purpose in calling her to that precise mission at that precise time. It was there she met Royal John Fulton – a missionary from Snowflake, Arizona who would become her eternal companion in November of 1951 once they both returned from their missions. They would never have met each other in any other way. This union resulted in outstanding devotion to each other, always characterized by their mutual support and love. They actively participated in family, civic, and church responsibilities while always giving their best effort and priority to their family.
She was blessed to be the mother of five children: daughter Lorraine was born first followed by three sons – Wesley, Douglas, and Mark. The youngest daughter, Andrea, was the darling of the family. Beverly dedicated all her prodigious talents towards nurturing, teaching, and sustaining this family. She was truly a “professional mom”.
Beverly could comfortably embody what many might think are contradictions: while being a strict, no-nonsense enforcer of right and a straight arrow, never wavering from what was right, she had a unique way of administering spirit-of-the-law punishments; she had extreme compassion without losing her moral compass; she was never a prude but didn’t appreciate anything inappropriate; always defended those being made fun of yet was the first to make fun of herself; often said “I’m not your friend, I’m your mother” and disciplined always for the good and instruction of her children and by so doing, she became our truest and best friend – a friend like Jesus Christ is to all; she was kind and considerate but, when her children were bullied, her advice was always “hit them back!”; she was frugal and careful to keep within the family budget but she could always find a way to make Christmas, birthdays and holidays lavishly special by giving thoughtful personal gifts that showed her love; she taught us to respect others, especially our teachers but there were several instances when she confronted teachers for their neglect or inappropriate behavior towards her children; she had a knack for calming fights with reason and solutions yet she was always first to fight for what was right. Her husband, Royal, often said she had the talent and intellect to have become anything she wanted, to have excelled in any profession she chose and he was right. Her chosen profession was to be a wife, a mother, and a homemaker and she was outstanding at it.
In 1995, Beverly and Royal departed for a senior mission called to serve where they had served as young missionaries. As they headed east, they suffered a rollover accident in which Beverly was severely injured. But, that would not deter her from fulfilling her responsibilities. She took one month to recover and once again headed out to finish their mission. When they returned, Beverly and Royal served in the Jordan River Temple for eight and a half years. She loved the Savior deeply and was enormously grateful for His atonement and example. She often expressed her testimony of the mission of the prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the need for continuing revelation.
Though her immediate cause of death was Legionnaires pneumonia complicated by several infections, the greatest deterrent to her indomitable spirit was the dementia that ravaged her later years. While in her prime, her memory was so good she could remember the names of all the kids of families in the ward and stake. She could keep all her many relatives straight on all sides of the family tree often correcting our Dad about some of his relations. But, dementia robbed her of one of her greatest treasures – her memories of the many experiences she had enjoyed with family and friends through the years. It robbed her children and grandchildren of conversations of profound and important topics they had learned to love. No longer did her sharp mind capture what it used to nor did she clearly remember well enough to answer questions about her past. We can rejoice, however, that she never lost her wonderful sense of humor. She never lost her ability to recognize each member of her large family nor did her concern for us ever wane. Even in her last hours, she worried about who was fixing Dad’s dinner, taking care of “the kids” (Doug, Mark and Andrea) and wanted us to know of her love. Mom always loved rocking and singing her children and grandchildren to sleep and we were able to close that circle by standing around her bedside and singing her to her final sleep.
Bev is survived by her daughter Lorraine Linares, sons Wesley (Robynn), Douglas (Linda), and Mark (Ellen) Fulton and daughter Andrea (Roger) Bennett, thirteen grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren (with another on the way). She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Gerald, and sister-in-law Florence.
Beverly would have loved being bookended between April Conference and the celebration of Easter Sunday. She eagerly anticipated the conference messages given and loved honoring the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. She would not have wanted to interfere with her family’s observance of these events.
The family sends heartfelt thanks to the staff of Legacy House of Taylorsville for the kind, selfless service they’ve rendered to Beverly for the past four and a half years. We also humbly thank those who ministered to her from the Westbrook Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A big thank you to the staff at the RICU at IMC for helping our mother during her last moments, especially nurse Jake who was so compassionate and thorough in his responsibilities that he became an honorary member of our family sharing one of the most sacred moments in our family’s history.
There are too many amazing stories about Beverly to ever possibly share in writing, but those who know and love her will never forget our priceless relationship. She was a mother extraordinaire and a valiant daughter of God multiplied by infinity. We have all eternity to reminisce and relive our memories with her and unitedly look forward to seeing her again in all her glory.
Service Information
Viewing April 13, 2019 at 10:00 AM
6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah





Funeral Service
April 13, 2019 at 11:00 AM
6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah