A MNGenWeb and USGenWeb Project

THE FULLER FAMILY HISTORY

Back to Surnames Page

My Father, Earl Vincent Fuller, was born in Rothsay, Minnesota, April 18th, 1888 and moved to Park Rapids at the age of 2 months. My Grandfather, Frank A. Fuller, had already opened a Hardware Store in Park Rapids but delayed moving the family until the house at 118 North Park Ave was completed (current site of the Condos by the old city beach). The original hardware store was a partnership with a man named Ralph Deming whom Frank later bought out. The house was big because Frank and Joanna (Sheehan) Fuller had 8 children. This was the house that I grew up in. Frank died in 1912 and Earl took over management of the Hardware Store. The oldest son Carl had gone elsewhere to seek his fortune and wound up with a Hardware Store in Isabel S.D. The youngest son, Milton Jerome, was too young to take over the store and the other boy, Paul died at an early age.

In 1916 Earl started the fishing contest and produced the first sheet of the Fishermans Golden Book as an area promotion tool. He was among the very first to recognize the value of fishing and tourism to this area. In 1930 he changed the makeup of the store from a Hardware to a Sporting Goods store, which it remains until this day.

Earl started a Wholesale Tackle business during WW2. This grew into a significant business with five trucks delivering tackle to stores and resorts from St Cloud to International Falls. Earl married Eugenie Loiselle in 1927 and had two children, Mary Louise and Jerome E. Fuller. Jerome took over the Retail Business in 1959 and the Wholesale Business in 1965 upon the Fathers retirement. The Wholesale business was sold in 1982 and the Retail Store in 1984. There were retail stores in Grand Rapids and Bemidji operating under the Fuller name as well. The Park Rapids Retail Store is still in operation and still carries the Fuller name.

Jerry Fuller
PO Box 26
Headwaters Chorus
Park Rapids, Mn 56470