Delbert Allen Bullard

Delbert Allen Bullard, age 97, passed from this life into eternity on January 28, 2020 in Shawnee, Oklahoma with his family by his side. Delbert was born in Longmont, Colorado on February 17, 1922 to Daniel Victor Bullard and Nettie (Gish) Bullard. He was the fifth child born of their seven sons and one daughter. As a young child, he moved with his family to many states including Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas and California as they worked in harvesting crops of cotton, walnuts, olives, strawberries, peaches, apples, but mostly orchards of cherries. He shared many interesting stories of his family’s working and traveling adventures including times of living in tents on the river. In addition to working with his family, at a young age he began to work various jobs on his own. By the age of 16, he was employed and told of keeping a very small sum of his check for himself and giving the rest of his money to his father. While working as a welder in the shipyards at Richmond, California, he dropped into the recruiting office at the post office with intentions of enlisting in the military, but Delbert needed parental consent because of being underage. His father let him coax him into signing the essential papers. Delbert was a World War II veteran and served his country honorably in the U.S. Navy. Some of his skills included building, installing and monitoring submarine nets that protected American shores from submarines. While stationed in the San Francisco Bay area he met his future wife, a Seminole, Oklahoma girl by the name of Gladys Bee Summers. She was teased by her family for years for bragging to them “I’ve got a sailor boy”. Delbert and Gladys were married on July 16, 1943 in San Pablo, California. To this union were born a daughter, Sherrian and two sons, Larry and Victor. In 1959, Delbert and Gladys, along with their children moved to Oklahoma on an 80 acre farm he purchased east of Shawnee. He, Gladys and their family attended Fairview Baptist Church for many years. Delbert had several occupations throughout his life, including carpentry. He was a Skelly oil distributor and operated three Skelly gas stations in Shawnee. Delbert and Gladys enjoyed many years of travel in their motorhome. They took numerous trips to California visiting their family members that lived there. Grandpa Delbert was dearly loved by 15 grandchildren. Grandsons are JD Carter, John Carter, Joe Carter, Josh Bullard, Jason Fulton and Jeremiah Fulton. Granddaughters are Angela Corona, Brigit Thompson, Becky Little, Melissa Bowles, Christa Elmore, Melanie Ricalde, Sherri Clymer and Lacie Carter. Delbert dearly missed Gladys when she preceded him in death on March 10, 1999. Life was never the same for him and he never stopped missing her. He was also preceded in death by his parents, six brothers and one sister. Left to cherish his memories are daughter Sherrian and husband Melvin Carter, sons Larry and wife Sandra Bullard, Victor and wife LaQueta Bullard, two sisters in law, Hazel Summers and Sandra Gelbeau, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren, as well as other family and friends. A special thank you to his next door neighbor Reta Wreath for her years of kindness and help to him. Funeral services at Fairview Baptist Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma on Friday, January 31, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. with Ernest Cowden officiating. Burial will follow at Little Cemetery next to his beloved wife. Pallbearers will be his great grandsons. Arrangements are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, Oklahoma. Funeral Information: January 31, 2020, 2:00 PM