Dr. Putnam Smith Fulkerson

Notes:

Died:
Lexington Intelligencer, December 23, 1905

Death of Dr. P.S. Fulkerson

Died, after a brief illness at his home near Central College in this city, Saturday afternoon, Dec. 16, Dr. P.S. Fulkerson, aged nearly 79 years. He had been in a bad state of health for two months but not such as seriously to interrupt the practice of his profession until about two weeks before his death. Uremic poisoning developed and after four days confinement to bed he passed away.

Putman Smith Fulkerson, eldest son of Jacob V. and Catherine Ewing Fulkerson was born near Stickleyville, Lee county Virginia, Jan. 20, 1827. He was the second of a family of eleven children, of whom four survive: Mrs. Margaret Lyons, of Kentucky; Mrs. Ellen Frick, of Kansas City; Mrs. Emma Reeder, of Batesville, Arkansas; and Dr. J.J. Fulkerson, of this city. Of the other brothers and sisters, now dead, two had lived in Missouri: Dr. Albert Fulkerson, who died in this city about eighteen months ago, and James P. Fulkerson, who lived in this county for two years just before the war between the states.

Dr. Fulkerson came to this county from Virginia in 1847 and commenced the practice of his profession on Texas Prairie, making his home with "Squire" Walton, at that time one of the most widely known men in Western Missouri. He had previously studied medicine for six years with his uncle, James P. Fulkerson, and had attended lectures in one of the medical colleges of Louisville, Ky. After practicing for several years in this state he went to Philadelphia where he took the post graduate course in the Jefferson Medical College, finishing in 1854. Returning to Missouri he located at Chapel Hill, then a flourishing seat of education. Dr. Fulkerson was practicing medicine at Chapel Hill while Francis M. Cockrell was teaching in Chapel Hill College, and here began a friendship which lasted until death.

When the war came Dr. Fulkerson, who was never lukewarm in anything, heartily espoused the cause of the South and served through the struggle as surgeon of Shelby's brigade. Returning to this county at the close of the war he located at Wellington; and in 1867---Oct. 15---he was married to Miss Mary Jane Ridings, daughter of Thomas Wentworth Ridings, of Wellington, who survives.

Of their four children only one is living, Miss Katherine C. Fulkerson, of this city. Dr. Emmett Fulkerson died Nov. 16, of this year, just one month before his father. Archibald Fulkerson, the second son, died Jan. 1898. The second daughter died in infancy.

In 1876 Dr. Fulkerson was elected to the office of county collector, ??? office be filled two terms. He ??? to Lexington with his family in ??? year and conducted his office ??? through deputies without ??? interruption to his professional ???. In 1884 he was appointed postmaster of Lexington during the first Cleveland administration. This office, too, was efficiently conducted though deputies. He had no desire, nor was it possible for his, to get away from a professional practice which for more than fifty years taxed his physical strength to the utmost. He was president of the County Medical Society from its reorganization to the time of his death. He was more than once president of the District Medical Society of Kansas City, and several times vice president of the State Society, before which he was often appointed to read papers upon medical subjects.

Buried:
GRid=97401317

Putnam married Mary Jane Ridings about 1867. Mary (daughter of Thomas Wentworth Ridings and Sarah Cornelia Wood) was born on 27 Mar 1844 in Lafayette Co, MO; died on 22 Dec 1918 in Lafayette Co, MO; was buried in Lafayette Co, MO. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]