Jo Ellen Fulbright

Jo Ellen (Culwell) Fulbright, 92, died peacefully at Sodalis Assisted Living in College Station on February 27, 2025. Visitation will be Thursday, March 6th at 6 PM followed by a rosary at 7 PM at OakCrest Funeral Home in Waco, TX. Mass of Christian Burial in celebration of her life will be 1:30 PM Friday, March 7, 2025 at her St. Louis Catholic Church, 2201 North 25th Street Waco, TX. Burial will be at Rosemound Cemetery in Waco. 

Jo Ellen was born December 11, 1932 in Whitesboro, Texas to James Carl and Bonnie Faye Culwell, the 5th of eight children. In her early years, she moved frequently throughout North Texas before her family settled in Waco when she was 11. Mrs. Fulbright graduated from Waco High School in 1950. 

From a young age, Jo Ellen was a gifted singer whose voice carried a rare, crystal-clear soprano tone. She quite literally "sang for her supper" as a child during the Great Depression, and her talent continued to shine in church performances of Ave Maria and concerts that took her from Central Texas all the way to Moscow, Russia, as a member of the Sweet Adelines and the Baylor Singing Seniors Choruses.

At 16, she met Joseph Lloyd Fulbright at her sister’s wedding in Waco. He asked if he could call her when she turned 18. She agreed, assuming she’d never hear from him again. But almost two years later, the phone rang—and the rest was history. Jo Ellen and Lloyd married on May 31, 1952, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Waco, sharing 57 years of love and laughter.

Early in their marriage, the couple went horseback riding. When Jo Ellen’s horse decided on a different path than she intended, Lloyd told her she needed to show the horse who was boss. She quipped, “He already knows.” Anyone who knew Jo Ellen—except that horse—understood that she was always the boss.

Together, they raised eight children in a loud home filled with laughter, love, and good-natured competition. Even during lean times, Jo Ellen’s creativity flourished—whether at the sewing machine, where she fashioned clothes with ease, or in her ability to turn discarded items into enviable décor.

As her youngest children entered school, Jo Ellen began a new journey, earning her B.S. in Education from Baylor University in 1974. She went on to teach at St. Louis Elementary and in Waco and Axtell ISD from 1974-1977. Ever resourceful, she later reinvented herself as a computer programmer, first at American Amicable and later at Hercules, Inc. in McGregor, where she worked until retiring in 1987.

Her greatest pride, however, was her family. She delighted in her 20 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, reveling in the joyful noise that filled their home on Pine Avenue. Even in her later years, nothing made her happier than a chubby baby in her lap or a spirited toddler chattering nearby.

A lifelong learner and avid reader, Jo Ellen embraced every stage of life with curiosity and humor. Her memory is a cherished blessing to all who had the joy of sharing a laugh—or a slice of her famous chocolate chess pie—with her.

She was preceded in death by her parents; loving husband, Joseph Lloyd Fulbright; son, Grady William Fulbright; grandson, Nathan Lawson Lewis; brother, Ralph Boston Culwell; and sisters, Mary Nobles, Carlene Owen, Jimmie Faye Salle, Carolyn Greenawalt and Kay Geske. 

Jo Ellen is survived by her children, Linda Watts (Brian), Mary Alice Lewis, Barbara Worley, Sue Ellen Lampe (Stan), Joseph L Fulbright, Jr. (Jerri), Rose Abshire (Danny) and Patrick Fulbright (Ande); as well as 19 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. 

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, 909 West Shaw, Fort Worth, Texas 76110-4057 or the Hillsboro Student Council, ℅ Dr. Deborah McMennamy, 1600 Abbott, Hillsboro, Texas 76645 for the Grady Fulbright Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Pallbearers will be: Justin Lewis, Jason Lewis, Jared Kahanek, Trey Worley, Wes Meyer, Jerred Fulbright, D.J. Abshire, and Cal McClain.