BIOGRAPHY

Fullingim was born in Clarksville, Texas, on 7 July 1855 as the fourth son of William and Catherine Eliza Fullingim, who had relocated from Alabama. His mother died when he was four years old; his father subsequently remarried and had at least two more children. He was a cowhand by the age of 10. At the age of 18, he moved to Wise County, Texas, working as a ranch hand for $15 a month. He later moved to the adjacent Jack County, and went solo into the cattle industry.

At the age of 23, Fullingim married Nancy Ellen Watson. Their marriage certificate was sent to the couple by officials in 1955, as they did not pick it up following their wedding day. They had at least three children: James William, John Frank, and Madge.

In 1894, the Fullingims migrated via wagon to Oklahoma on a nine-day journey. Fullingim worked as a freighter, using his wagon to deliver goods to the people of Cloud Chief, Oklahoma. Six years later, he and his family moved 40 miles east in the wagon to Chickasha, opening a meat market and working as a butcher. They moved back near Cloud Chief in 1901, and in 1917, acquired land near Mountain Park.

As of 1947, Fullingim’s son James William “Will” was taking over a lot of ranch work, despite being in his sixties himself. Fullingim himself didn’t give up horse riding until he was a centenarian. He still had his own teeth at 100 years old.

Fullingim died in a Lawton, Oklahoma hospital on 6 August 1965 at the age of 110 years, 30 days, the first and only time he was ever in a hospital.

RECOGNITION

Fullingim was the oldest living person in the world whose age has been validated. However, James King (1854 – 1967) was likely older, but his age has not been validated by LongeviQuest as of November 2024.

At 84 years, 258 days, Fullingim and his wife had one of the longest marriages in history, from 11 August 1879 to 25 April 1964.

Fullingim’s age was verified by Dr. Andrew Holmes, Robert Young, and Filipe Prista Lucas, and was validated by the GRG on 16 September 2012.

ATTRIBUTION

• William Archer “Uncle Bunch” Fullingim Find A Grave
• Sunday Gazette-Mail, 14 August 1960

GALLERY