Ida Mae Nutt

Ida Mae Nutt, 99, of Carthage, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2026 at Hickory Heights Health and Rehab in Little Rock. A longtime educator and active member of her community, she was known for her independence, curiosity, and willingness to help others.

Ida Mae was born on February 5, 1927, in Horatio, Arkansas, the youngest of eleven children born to William Henry and Annie Lenora Allmond Crunk. She grew up in nearby Lockesburg and was the only one of her siblings to attend college. With financial assistance from her older brothers and sisters, she graduated from Ouachita Baptist College (now Ouachita Baptist University) in 1949 with a degree in business education. She never forgot the role her siblings played in making her education possible.

Following graduation, Ida Mae accepted a teaching position in Carthage, where she met John McCoy “Coy” Nutt. They married in 1950 and made Carthage their home. Known to generations of students as “Mrs. Nutt,” she taught business classes for twenty years. Several former students who later served in the military recalled how their typing skills led to clerical assignments rather than combat duties, an opportunity they credited to her teaching. After retiring from full-time teaching, she continued as a substitute teacher and served as bookkeeper for the Carthage water department.

Ida Mae was a longtime member of the Carthage United Methodist Church and its last remaining member before the congregation was closed. Although she rarely spoke about her religious beliefs, she expressed her faith through practical acts of service. She remained independent well into her nineties, living in her own home until age 94. Never a driver, she was a familiar sight walking through Carthage, checking on neighbors or collecting their mail along with her own at the local post office. For many years, she also mowed lawns for several neighbors in addition to maintaining her own.

As the youngest child in a sharecropping family, Ida Mae recalled being “too little” to pick cotton or help in the kitchen. Instead, she explored the woods with her siblings, particularly her brothers, developing a lifelong interest in nature. She enjoyed traveling and was knowledgeable about birds, butterflies, trees, and flowers.

Naturally curious, Ida Mae enjoyed reading and learning throughout her life. She encouraged that same curiosity in her daughters and grandchildren, often directing them to a dictionary, encyclopedia for answers to their questions. She regularly mailed newspaper clippings on subjects she thought might interest family members. She enjoyed crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and the companionship of her cats. Her fondness for animals extended to neighborhood dogs and feral cats, for whom she kept food and treats, and even a neighbor’s horse.

Ida Mae was preceded in death by her husband, John McCoy Nutt; her parents, William Henry and Annie Lenora Allmond Crunk; and her ten siblings.

She is survived by her daughters, Sue Smith (Greg) of Carthage and Alicia McCoy (Shawn) of Little Rock; four grandchildren, Jason Smith of Arkadelphia, Kyle Smith (Jessica) of Little Rock, Cole McCoy of Chicago, and Riley McCoy of Little Rock; and six great-grandchildren, Maryi, Santi, Tedi, and Elton Smith-Houser of Arkadelphia, and Liam and Everett Smith of Little Rock, with another great-grandchild expected in April. She is also survived by eight nieces and nephews and their families.

A private graveside service will be held Friday, October 16, at Princeton Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life service on Saturday, November 7, at 11:00 a.m. in Carthage, Arkansas. The exact location will be announced at a later date.

Ida Mae was a faithful supporter of the United Methodist Church (https://www.umnews.org/en/news/places-of-the-heart-rural-church-at-crossroads). The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the North Katanga Water Wells Project, Arkansas Conference of the UMC, PO Box 3611, Little Rock, AR 72203 (https://arumc.org/our-ministries/global-ministries/north-katanga-water-wells/).

The family sincerely appreciates the Memory Care staff at Hickory Heights Health and Rehab for their care of Ida Mae and for the many stories they shared with her family. The family also thanks LifeTouch Health for its compassionate hospice care during the final months of her life.