Leonard Franklin Fulks

1898 - 1985  (86 years)

• Name	Leonard Franklin Fulks
  Birth	30 Aug 1898	KY   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1900	Birmingham, Marshall Co, KY   [2]
  	age 1
  Census	1910	District 2, Marshall Co, KY   [3]
  	age 11
  _MILT	12 Sep 1917	Benton, Marshall Co, KY   [4]
  	WWI Draft Reg Card -- See Military Folder
  Census	1920	Birmingham, Marshall Co, KY   [5]
  	age 21, single, living with parents
  Census	1930	Paducah, McCracken Co, KY   [6]
  	age 30, wife Mattie-age 27, 2 children
  Census	1940	Kuttawa, Lyon Co, KY   [7]
  	age 40, wife Mattie-age 37, 2 children
  _MILT	16 Jul 1940  [8]
  	Army Enlistment
  Census	1950	Lyon Co, KY   [9]
  	age 51, wife Mattie J-age 47
  Death	03 May 1985	Paducah, McCracken Co, KY   [1, 8]
  Findagrave.com	17 Oct 2016
  	See Notes
  Person ID	I1690	Butler Family Tree
  Last Modified	6 Jun 2026

  
  

  Father	John Franklin Fulks,   b. 03 Jan 1863, Lyon Co, KY d. 20 Nov 1946, Kuttawa, Lyon Co, KY (Age 83 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Martha Caroline Baker,   b. 25 Jun 1865, Marshall Co, KY d. 08 Mar 1947, Kuttawa, Lyon Co, KY (Age 81 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	30 Sep 1886	Marshall Co, KY   [10, 11]
  Photos » Slide Show		Fulks-John-Franklin-(Martha-Caroline-(Baker))-TS
  		Fulks-John-Franklin-(Martha-Caroline-(Baker))-Mar-1
  		Fulks-John-Franklin-(Martha-Caroline-(Baker))-MRJ-1
  		Fulks-John-Franklin-(Martha-Caroline-(Baker))-MRJ-2
  Family ID	F470	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mattie Jo Estes-xx,   b. 07 May 1902, KY d. 08 Sep 1982, Caldwell Co, KY (Age 80 years)
  Marriage	20 Apr 1921	Marshall Co, KY   [8, 10]
  Notes	Children: son Joseph Franklin Fulks 10/26/1921 - 3/21/1976 - ** See his findagrave.com page later ** - professional basketball player - 7/16/1940 - Army Enlistment - ** See below ** - aft 7/16/1940 married Mary Sue Gillespie 1921 - 1991 son David Sherman Fulks1949 - 1998 dau Nancy Carol Fulks 1959 - 2007 - married ??? Cope dau Barbara Nell Fulks 1927 - 2002 - married ??? McKinney --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- found at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2D4-4HL6 Name: Leonard Franklin Fulks Titles and Terms: Event Type: Marriage Event Date: 20 Apr 1921 Event Place: Marshall, Marshall, Kentucky, United States Event Place (Original): Marshall Gender: Male Age: 22 Marital Status: Race: Race (Original): Birth Date: Birth Year (Estimated): 1899 Birthplace: Marriage License Date: Father's Name: J Frank Fulks **** Father's Titles and Terms: Mother's Name: Martha Baker **** Mother's Titles and Terms: Spouse's Name: Mattie Joe Estes Spouse's Titles and Terms: Spouse's Gender: Female Spouse's Age: 19 Spouse's Race (Original): Spouse's Birth Date: Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1902 Spouse's Birthplace: Spouse's Father's Name: Joe Estes Spouse's Father's Titles and Terms: Spouse's Mother's Name: Ella Forley Spouse's Mother's Titles and Terms: Reference ID: GS Film Number: 001760358 Digital Folder Number: 007733653 Image Number: 00867 Citing this Record "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2D4-4HG3 : accessed 23 August 2018), Ella Forley in entry for Leonard Franklin Fulks and Mattie Joe Estes, 20 Apr 1921; citing Marshall, Marshall, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 1,760,358. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- found at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8GM-RDZ Name: Joseph Fulks Name (Original): FULKS JOSEPH Event Type: Military Service Event Date: 16 Jul 1940 Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for assignment to another corps area Event Place: Ft Thomas, Newport, Kentucky, United States Race: White Citizenship Status: citizen Birth Year: 1921 Birthplace: KENTUCKY Education Level: 1 year of high school Civilian Occupation: Farm hands, general farms Marital Status: Single, without dependents Military Rank: Private Army Branch: Infantry Army Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men) Source Reference: Civil Life Serial Number: 15041097 Affiliate ARC Identifier: 1263923 Box Film Number: 01762.33 Affiliate Publication Title: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946 Citing this Record "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8GM-RDZ : 5 December 2014), Joseph Fulks, enlisted 16 Jul 1940, Ft Thomas, Newport, Kentucky, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- found at findagrave.com Joe "Jumping Joe" Fulks Original name: Joseph Franklin Fulks Birth: Oct. 26, 1921 Birmingham Marshall County Kentucky, USA Death: Mar. 21, 1976 Eddyville Lyon County Kentucky, USA Professional Basketball player. Joseph Franklin Fulks was to basketball what Babe Ruth was to baseball and has been referred to by many as the "father of the modern game." Jumping, spinning and scoring from everywhere on the court, the lanky western Kentucky lad helped pave the way for professional basketball to become the sport it is today. Fulks alone was credited with introducing the modern-day jump shot that revolutionized professional basketball - thus earning him the nickname "jumping Joe" Fulks. On February 10, 1949 he recorded one of the greatest individual performances in the history of the game, scoring 63 points with the Philadelphia Warriors. That record endured for ten years. In World War II, as a Marine sergeant, he saw action in Iwo Jima and Guam. Family links: Parents: Leonard Franklin Fulks (1898 - 1985) Mattie Jo Estes Fulks (1902 - 1982) Spouse: Mary Sue Gillespie Fulks (1921 - 1991)* Children: David Sherman Fulks (1949 - 1998)* Nancy Carol Fulks Cope (1959 - 2007)* Sibling: Joe Fulks (1921 - 1976) Barbara Nell Fulks McKinney (1927 - 2002)* *Calculated relationship Burial: Birmingham Cemetery Briensburg Marshall County Kentucky, USA Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Mar 03, 2001 Find A Grave Memorial# 20720 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Family ID	F1236	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	6 Jun 2026

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 30 Aug 1898 - KY Census - age 1 - 1900 - Birmingham, Marshall Co, KY Census - age 11 - 1910 - District 2, Marshall Co, KY _MILT - WWI Draft Reg Card -- See Military Folder - 12 Sep 1917 - Benton, Marshall Co, KY Census - age 21, single, living with parents - 1920 - Birmingham, Marshall Co, KY Marriage - 20 Apr 1921 - Marshall Co, KY Census - age 30, wife Mattie-age 27, 2 children - 1930 - Paducah, McCracken Co, KY Census - age 40, wife Mattie-age 37, 2 children - 1940 - Kuttawa, Lyon Co, KY Census - age 51, wife Mattie J-age 47 - 1950 - Lyon Co, KY Death - 03 May 1985 - Paducah, McCracken Co, KY  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Fulks-Leonard-Franklin

  
  

• Notes

  - ** See marriage notes for list of children ** - 1920 census last name transcribed as Fuller - see digital - looks like Fulks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- found at findagrave.com on 10/17/2016 Leonard Franklin Fulks Birth: Aug. 30, 1898 Kentucky, USA Death: May 3, 1985 Paducah McCracken County Kentucky, USA Family links: Spouse: Mattie Jo Estes Fulks (1902 - 1982) Children: Joe Fulks (1921 - 1976)* Barbara Nell Fulks McKinney (1927 - 2002)* *Calculated relationship Note: With Mattie Burial: Birmingham Cemetery Briensburg Marshall County Kentucky, USA Created by: Kathy Thompson Record added: Sep 05, 2009 Find A Grave Memorial# 41586283 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- found at findagrave.com bef 10/17/2016 Leonard Franklin Fulks Birth: Aug. 30, 1898 Kentucky, USA Death: May 3, 1985 Paducah McCracken County Kentucky, USA Family links: Spouse: Mattie Jo Estes Fulks (1902 - 1982) Children: Joe Fulks (1921 - 1976)* Barbara Nell Fulks McKinney (1927 - 2002)* *Calculated relationship Note: With Mattie Burial: Birmingham Cemetery Briensburg Marshall County Kentucky, USA Created by: Kathy Thompson Record added: Sep 05, 2009 Find A Grave Memorial# 41586283 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- found at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V34B-6MZ Leonard Fulks, "United States Social Security Death Index" Given Name: Leonard Middle Name: Surname: Fulks Name Suffix: Birth Date: 30 August 1898 Social Security Number: 406-05-1901 State: Kentucky Last Place of Residence: Lyon, Kentucky Previous Residence Postal Code: 42038 Event Date: May 1985 Age: 87 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- found at https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKC9-Q157 Name: Leonard F Fulks Event Type: Death Event Date: 03 May 1985 Event Place: Mccracken, Kentucky, United States Age: 86 Birth Date: Birth Year (Estimated): 1899 Digital Folder Number: Citing this Record: "Kentucky, Vital Record Indexes, 1911-1999," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKC9-Q157 : 1 July 2015), Leonard F Fulks, 03 May 1985; citing Death, Mccracken, Kentucky, United States, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  

• Sources

  [S49] Social Security Death Index. [S11] 1900 United States Federal Census. [S12] 1910 United States Federal Census. [S78] World War I Draft Registration Card. [S13] 1920 United States Federal Census. [S14] 1930 United States Federal Census. [S15] 1940 United States Federal Census. [S48] See Notes. [S86] 1950 United States Federal Census. [S41] Marriage License. [S42] Marriage Record Journal.