Mrs. Linda Louise Garrison Fulmer

Linda Louise Garrison Fulmer, a devoted and beloved “Nanny,” mother, sister, aunt and friend to many, died on Sunday, August 6, 2023, from complications due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Linda came into this world on February 2, 1943, the second of three daughters born to Joel and Sara Garrison. She grew up in Columbia, and spent her childhood getting into all kinds of mischief with her sisters Sara Jo and Mary. But it was at a Sunday School class party that she met a boy named Raymond Fulmer—and once they got together, they would never part. After graduating from Eau Claire High School in 1961, Linda married Raymond at College Place United Methodist Church the following September, and they would remain together for the next six decades, until Ray’s death in 2021. The young couple built a brick house off Swygert Lane in Blythewood—a place that would, over the years, become the hearth and home of an ever-growing, loving family. Linda was the proud mother of two sons, Eddie and Clay, who spent their childhoods tearing around that big yard on foot and on motorcycles, while their mom was ready with hugs and band-aids, as needed. She and Ray raised the boys into wonderful young men, each of them now with families of their own. Linda worked as a beautician, welcoming her clients into a small hair salon attached to the house. She spent hours fixing hair, getting the latest neighborhood news, and trading in tidbits of information. She was the kind of person who seemed to know everyone and everything, a cornerstone of her community. And she could tell a story better than anyone. Fairlawn United Methodist Church was Linda’s spiritual home. She led the choir with a sweet and pure soprano voice, and she played piano there for many years. She and Ray were pillars of that congregation, and people knew they could always call on them if they needed help. Fairlawn is where Linda’s two sons were married, and it is where her husband, mother and father are laid to rest. It is where she will make her final home. Every summer over the Fourth of July, the Fulmers spent a week with the whole extended family in Crescent Beach, Florida. Their condo was always the center of the action, the place where everyone gathered for meals or to talk and play cards. Over the years, the family grew: Eddie and his wife Tammy Lomas Fulmer had two sons, Joseph and Josh. Clay had a daughter and a son, P.J. and Bryan. And then, Linda was blessed with great-grandchildren—Tucker, Grace, Hannah and Josh Jr. With the addition of Clay’s wife Patty Hightower, two more grandchildren (and their spouses) and four more great-grandchildren joined the family. Linda loved children, and they adored her. Linda was many things to many people, but at the core of her soul, she was “Nanny.” She was a force of nature, and it is difficult to imagine this world without her in it. Linda Louise Fulmer is survived by her son Eddie and daughter-in-law Tammy; her son Clay and daughter-in-law Patty; her sisters, Sara Jo Garrison Dickey and Mary Garrison Law; six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The funeral service for Mrs. Fulmer will be held at 11 o’clock, Wednesday, August 9th at Fair Lawn United Methodist Church with The Rev. John Williams, III and Rev. Tony Branham officiating. The burial will follow in the church cemetery. The visitation will be held from 5 until 7 o’clock, Tuesday, August 8th at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia, SC. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Special Olympics of South Carolina, 109 Oak Park Dr., Irmo, SC 29063 or Fair Lawn United Methodist Church, 9203 Wilson Blvd, Columbia, SC 29203.

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Mrs. Linda Louise Garrison Fulmer

February 2, 1943 - August 6, 2023