James Roland Fuller

1930 - 2025  (94 years)

• Name	James Roland Fuller  [1, 2]
  Birth	23 Jul 1930	Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	30 Jan 2025	Nacogdoches County, Texas
  Burial	2 Feb 2025	Rosevine Cemetery, Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas
  Notes	Biographical Information Robert Cecil McDaniel, in his book "Citizen Soldiers of Sabine County, Texas" Texian Press (Waco), 1992 writes that Roland was a "Veteran 1947-July 31, 1968 Air Force Master Sergeant Rep of Vietnam Campaign Medal." In a subsequent book, "Book Three A Pictorial History of Sabine County, Texas" McDaniel adds that "Three of Fuller's children also served in the US Air Force." Harry Noble wrote that Roland served for 21 years, getting to travel all over the world. After retiring from the Air Force he worked for Halbert's and later opened the John Deere store on Highway 96. In his self-published autobiography, "The Life Story of James R. Fuller," Roland stated he began his military service on October 7, 1947, attending basic training at Lackland AFB, and then being transferred to Lawrey Air Base in Denver to learn military administrative procedures. In May 1948, he was send to Guam, being assigned to the 514 Weather Recon Squadron, where he was responsible for maintaining the flight records on all aircrew members. The squads mission was to chase and report on all typhoons in the area. From 1951 through 1961, he served at Bryan AFB (Texas), Rhein-Main (Germany), Ellington AFB (Houston), and in Taranto, Italy. He and Betty had their four children during this same time frame. In the summer of 1961, the family of six travelled in their VW Bug from southern Italy and drove to Germany, where Roland was assigned to the USAFE Flight Service Center at Rhein-Main Air Base. While stationed in Germany he was the only enlisted service member at the Command Center in London, England during the Cuban Missle Crisis. The family next moved to Biggs AFB in El Paso, and then to Loring AFB in northern Maine. In the spring of 1967 Roland put in paperwork for this retirement, but almost simultaneously received orders to go to Cam Ranh Air Base in Vietnam. He postponed his retirement to accept those orders, after determining it would allow him to get his family back to San Augustine, Texas faster than staying in Maine until his retirement was approved. He was eligible again to retire in April, 1968, but was slowed down by the fact that he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer during his retirement physical. Roland noted, however, that "all this time, in between hospital visits, I had been home in East Texas clearing and fencing my 100 acre farm (purchased from his Aunt, Etherl Fuller Eddings), and with the help of my boys, hauling square bales of hay. Therefore I did not believe the doctors' prognosis and refused to accept disability....I was discharged on August 1, 1968." Roland stated that just why the doctors were insistent he had final stage lung cancer remains a mystery to him, but suspects it was actually an allergy to pine trees causing his respiratory problems. After his 20 plus year of military service, he worked for Halberts/Holly Farms, and later owned and operated a John Deere Services Center in San Augustine. He farmed and raised cattle for himself, his children all pitching in to help. Daughter Kathy, at age 10, was able to drive the 18 wheeler as it was being loaded in the hay fields. After 30 years of farming, Roland and Betty out their 100 acres on the market, and it was sold within 30 days. They moved to Central Heights, a community in Nacogdoches county. They continue to garden and travel. OBITUARY Mr. James Roland Fuller, age 94, of Nacogdoches passed away Thursday, January 30, 2025, at Nacogdoches Medical Center. Mr. Fuller was a native and longtime resident of Rosevine, where he was born July 23, 1930, to parents James Herman and Ruth Mae (McCroskey) Fuller. He proudly served his country and retired in 1968 as a Master Sergeant following a distinguished career with the U.S. Air Force. He was a longtime member of the Rosevine Volunteer Fire Department, serving as fire chief for several years. In his early years of retirement, James Roland was involved in several area business interests, however, his great niche was farming. He received numerous awards and recognition for his hay. He was well known in East Texas for his hay growing and baling expertise. Following his love of the outdoors, he had a great passion for fishing. James Roland was a longtime member of Rosevine Church of God. He and his wife have been residents of Nacogdoches during the most recent years. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Betty Fuller of Nacogdoches; a son, James Roland "Jimmy" Fuller Jr. of Brookeland; daughter, Kathy Irelan and husband Bob of Nacogdoches; daughter-in-law, Sarah Fuller of Burkburnett, Texas; a brother, Dwain Fuller of Pasadena; 5 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and 4 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, James Herman and Ruth Fuller; sons, Bill Fuller and Mike Fuller; and several brothers and sisters. Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Sunday, February 2, 2025, at Wyman Roberts Funeral Home, located at 316 W. Columbia Street in San Augustine. Funeral services are set for 2:00 p.m. Sunday, February 2, 2025, at the Wyman Roberts Memorial Chapel with Bro. Floyd Wright officiating. Interment will follow at Rosevine Cemetery, with Sabine County Veterans Honor Guard presenting honors. Pallbearers: Carl Fuller, Bach Luong, Cody Irelan, Chris Verhalen, Doug Jones, and John Michael Stracener. Honorary pallbearer is Binh Luong. Visit www.WymanRobertsFH.com for memories and condolences. Arrangements are under the direction of Wyman Roberts Funeral Home in San Augustine, downloaded from that website .
  Person ID	I646	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	1 Feb 2025

  
  

  Father	James Herman Fuller,   b. 17 Dec 1903, Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas d. 4 Aug 1970, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 66 years)
  Mother	Ruth McCroskey,   b. 11 Jan 1907, Pollock, Grant Parish, Louisiana d. 9 Dec 1967 (Age 60 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1924  [3]
  	At one time, Ruth's parents were sharecroppers for Joseph T. Fuller (Herman's father), and that is how Ruth McCroskey and Herman Fuller met.
  Family ID	F458	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Living
  Children	1. Living   2. William "Bill" Herman Fuller,   b. 23 Jul 1954, Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany d. 17 Nov 2024, Texas (Age 70 years)   3. Michael Alan Fuller,   b. 14 May 1957, Houston, Harris County, Texas d. 30 Apr 1979, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas (Age 21 years)   4. Living
  Family ID	F503	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	5 Nov 2012

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 23 Jul 1930 - Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas Death - 30 Jan 2025 - Nacogdoches County, Texas Burial - 2 Feb 2025 - Rosevine Cemetery, Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		Fuller, Master Sergeant James Roland, Vietnam, 1967 Roland (l) with a fellow serviceman (r, not identified) in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Roland served in the Air Force from 1947 through 1968.
  		Fuller, Herman and Ruth Children, ca 2005 Dwain FULLER, David FULLER, Ola Jean (Fuller) FORD, James Roland FULLER and Mildred (Fuller) TONER: Five of the Ten children born to James Herman FULLER and Ruth McCROSKEY
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  
  

• Sources

  [S342] San Augustine Tribune, weekly, 807 E. Columbia, San Augustine, TX, (San Augustine Tribune, USPS No. 479-040, Published every Thursday at 807 E. Columbia St., San Augustine, Texas 75972 Stephen Hays & Arlan Hays, Publishers. Postmaster: Change of Address notice should be made at P.O. Box 539, San Augustine, Texas 75972. The Tribune is a continuation of the Texas Chronicle moved from Galveston to San Augustine in 1837 and published as the Redlander.). [S1396] Fuller, James R. "The Life Story of James R. Fuller" Privately Published 52 page typed manuscript, Fall 2012, (Copy sent by James R. Fuller to his children, local libraries, and to Melinda McLemore Strong in San Antonio, Texas). [S461] White & Toole, "Sabine County Historical Sketches and Genealogical Records" c. 1972, p 75 (Reliability: 3).