Iva Fultz

On April 22, 2023, Iva Marie Fultz was welcomed into the arms of her Savior at the age of 96 years, 8 months and 21 days. She was surrounded by her loved ones as they ushered her to the gates of heaven.

Iva was born on August 2, 1926 to Perry and Martha Grogan and lived in the Batavia, Arkansas area during the Great Depression. Life was hard during that time when often the meal consisted of cornbread and milk (which remained one of her favorites throughout her adult life), but also in the passing of her mother when she was four years old. Her father worked long hard hours to provide, leaving Iva and her two older sisters at home during the day to care for each other and get themselves off to school. The girls helped take care of the housework and worked in the field and garden, learning early on how necessary hard work was to survive. She went to school at Ridgeway and then graduated at Alpena High School in 1945. Iva worked for a time at the Sterling Five-and-Dime store in Harrison, Arkansas where she may have acquired her taste for a cold Coke in a bottle.

On December 24, 1946, she and Floyd Eugene Fultz were married, later having four children who ultimately gave them 11 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Iva and Floyd were saved as adults at a revival in Carrollton, Arkansas. In 1966, they became two of the 31 charter members of the Osage Baptist Church. From family devotions to fitting farm life around their church attendance and leadership roles, they demonstrated to their family and community that God was their number one priority. Iva taught in VBS, children’s camp, preschool and children’s programs and was the church treasurer for many years. She loved to sing alto in the choir and enjoyed bringing many a delicious dish to the Sunday dinners including those famous pimento cheese sandwiches.

Next in line to her love for her Savior, she greatly loved her family. Sadly, Floyd and their 10-year-old daughter died as the result of a motor vehicle accident in 1972. Yet she became an unceasing encourager to all and often had chocolate chip cookies waiting for them when they arrived. Gathering her family around the piano to sing, or convincing some to work up a “special” for church was one of her favorite things to do. She certainly loved music, playing the piano herself by ear, but also insisted her daughters take piano lessons so they could play regularly for church. The main feature for family gatherings were always their favorite dishes and there was plenty of it.

Iva’s love for others was shown in how she enjoyed visiting with them. Her weekly phone calls to her sister and one of her daughters who lived out of town, were counted on like clockwork. When Jill and her family came to stay overnight, they would talk way into the night lulling the young ones to sleep on the couch and floor.

Iva helped on the farm, mostly by milking up to 100 cows, and loved gardening, canning jar after jar of green beans, tomatoes and putting up pounds and pounds of her famous sweet corn. For many years, when they butchered a hog, she worked to preserve fresh ham, bacon, sausage, and cracklings. She loved to read historical fiction and collect old clocks. She took up oil painting as an older adult, completed a course at North Arkansas Community College in Interior Design at the age of 50 and even mowed her yard until the age of 93.

You could often hear her use humorous phrases like “them’s the berries” or “I’ll be John Brown.” Her grandkids and great grandkids will always remember the $2 bills they received from her each Christmas and the large collection of VHS movies she had on hand to watch. Iva loved others so well, and was in return, greatly loved by others.

She is preceded in death by her parents Perry and Martha (Thomason) Grogan, her husband Floyd, daughter Marianne, sisters Ora Lovell and Oma Philips, twin grandsons Kevin and Kraig Wolf, daughter-in-law Judy Fultz, and great great grandson Warren Cole.

Iva is survived by her son David Fultz, daughter Pam (Mike) Disheroon, daughter Jill (Greg) Wolf, grandchildren Monica (Russell) Colbert, Mark (Dena) Fultz, Tony (Shelly) Fultz, Matt (Stephanie) Disheroon, Tim (Rebekah) Disheroon, Jessica (Derek) Hocfbaum, Ashley Hedden, Jennifer (Jamie) Vernoy, Brennan (Emily) Wolf, 31 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Celebration of Life service for Iva will be Friday, April 28, 2023, at 10:00 AM at Osage Baptist Church with Pastor Lannie Younger officiating. Interment will follow at Carrollton Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday, April 27, 6-8 PM at Smith Family Funeral Home in Green Forest.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any gifts in her honor be made to the Osage Baptist Church or to the Gideons to purchase Bibles. Online condolences can be made at smithfamilyfuneralhome.net.

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