Raymond to celebrate Easter with parade

In addition to celebrating Easter Sunday this coming weekend, the historic town of Raymond will stage its 33rd annual parade and community festival. A craft fair of vendors is set to begin at 9 a.m. and the parade begins at noon on Saturday in downtown Raymond. The Raymond Museum will also be open throughout the day.

The Grand Marshal at this year’s parade is almost lifelong Madera County resident Carol Fulmer Saulsbury.

Born in Fresno her father’s family, the Fulmers, came to Madera County in 1920 and her mother’s family, the Lollichs, came here in 1921. She graduated from Sierra High School in Tollhouse in 1970.

“I rode the school bus an hour and a half each way,” Saulsbury said.

She still lives on her family’s ranch on Road 600 between Ahwahnee and Raymond.

An only child, born to parents who were also only children, she has fond memories of spending time during childhood with her parents and grandparents.

“My grandmother, Vera Lollet, served as Postmaster and my mother, Anita Fulmer, worked 40 years at Sierra Telephone,” she said. “I would spend mornings with them at the Post Office or the telephone office,” she said. “Afternoons were spent working cattle with my father and grandfather.”

Carol and her former husband, Mark Saulsbury, have two adult sons. Robert and wife Melissa Saulsbury live in Clovis and have two children Dylan and Brynlee. Her son, Randy, his wife Amber Saulsbury and their daughter Ainsley live in Texas.

She recently retired after working 20 years following in her mother’s footsteps at Sierra Telephone.

“I worked line assignment, dispatch and engineering,” she said.

Saulsbury has been involved in organizing the Raymond parade since its inception. She is active in the Raymond Museum and worshipped at the St. Anne’s and Raymond Community churches.

After the parade, there will be activities to include an Easter Egg hunt at the William Emma Footman Community Park in Raymond.