Helping Families and Friends Honor Their Loved One

Carole Ruth Carter, age 79

Carole Ruth Carter died on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, at the age of 79.  She was born on October 10, 1940, the second daughter of Scott and Maralee Grim in Berryville, AR.

Always fiercely independent and intelligent, she took it upon herself to add the “e” to her first name while in elementary school.  After graduating from Berryville High School and Ouachita Baptist University, she moved to Little Rock in 1962. It was there she met and married Bruce Carter, who had seen her at Second Baptist Church. Together they have two children—a daughter Missy and a son Scott.

After teaching history and English to high school students for fifteen years, she changed careers in the late 1970s and sold insurance and later office supplies.  But the teaching profession lured her back. After getting her master’s in history from UCA, she taught world history as part of the faculty there for many years. She had very high standards for herself and her students; but she was very interested in helping her students succeed.

A lifelong Baptist, she was a member of Second Baptist Church and proud of the progressive stances it has long taken on social issues.

She is survived by her husband Bruce, daughter Missy, and son Scott. She is also survived by a brother Charles Grim, sister Sheri Crauswell, her Carter in-laws: Audrey and Billy Hairston, Robert Carter, and Dale and Jimmie Carter as well as numerous other relatives and many friends. She was predeceased by her parents and a sister Janet.

The family requests memorials be sent to Second Baptist Church, 222 E 8th Street, Little Rock AR 72202.

Per her request (and the threat she would come back and haunt if it was ignored), there will only be a private service.  She will be interred at the Roselawn Mausoleum, so people wishing to visit her remains in the future are encouraged to do so.

Arrangements are entrusted to A Natural State Funeral Service, 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas.  501-982-3400.

23 Comments

  • Jan Sutterfield Posted August 28, 2020 10:55 AM

    Carole Carter was indeed one of a kind! I am so thankful that I was privileged to be blessed by her life. She was an awesome ‘mom’ to Ken and I as college students when we worked at Lake Nixon. She and Bruce, Missy & Scott would welcome us around their dinner table each Friday night. Carole was a fantastic cook! It was a welcome relief to be in their home each week after a week of hot summer days outside. The Carter family remain special friends and will always hold a special place in our hearts. Carole will be greatly missed by all. I’m so comforted by the fact that we will have a glorious reunion one day as we join her in our eternal home with our Lord!
    Praying that the God of all comfort will comfort Bruce, Missy and Scott as only He can. Love to all!

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 10:43 AM

      Jan & Ken we always enjoyed having the group to join us at our table for food, in fact we looked forwardd to it each week. We did feed a number of the Lake Nixon group during the time that you were out there working during the summer months. It was a pleasure and we will miss Carole a lot as well as her cooking. We love you both a lot. Thanks to both of you.

  • Wendy Lucas Posted August 28, 2020 10:55 AM

    I was honored to call Carole a colleague and friend. Her office was a few doors down from me and we spent many days walking up and down the stairs in Irby, chatting about our mutual love of Christmas decorations, and all things history. She loved her students and there wasn’t an afternoon when there wasn’t one or more in her office getting individual help on something they were struggling with. After retirement, she made a point of returning for our annual Christmas party and it was always such a joy to catch up with her. She left a lasting impact on her students and will be missed.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 10:57 AM

      Wendy the feel ing was mutual toward you and the times that you had with her and visiting through the years. Carole enjoyed History about as much as anyone that I have ever known. Even though she did not get back to the time of sharing her knowledge of History until she was about about 50 years of age she found out that was really her calling to be able to share it with others to do so. She often said that she had enjoyed every job she ever had but that maybe instrucing others was the most gratifying. We will miss her a lot, but maybe she left some of her knowledge with others.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:30 AM

      Wendy thanks a lot for the memories that you had with Carole and we will miss her a lot and you can be assured that she enjoyed those times together. She did enjoy the Christmas decorations a lot. We will truly miss her ,but we know that life must go on.

  • Judy Huff Posted August 28, 2020 10:57 AM

    I worked with Carole for many years at the University of Central Arkansas, Department of History. My older son, Phillip was one of her many World History students. Carole will be greatly missed by all who knew her!

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:01 AM

      Judy she really enjoyed talking with you and being able to contact you for help when she needed a little task like going up to her office to check and see if she had done all the things that she needed to do before she left for home. We will miss he a great deal but can cherish the memories.

  • Joe & Kay Simmons Posted August 28, 2020 11:06 AM

    We are sorry to see this, Bruce. Thinking of you and your family..

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:01 AM

      Judy she really enjoyed talking with you and being able to contact you for help when she needed a little task like going up to her office to check and see if she had done all the things that she needed to do before she left for home. We will miss he a great deal but can cherish the memories.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:41 AM

      Kay & Joe, thanks for the post and even though you may have not ever met her she knew a great deal ablut her since I gave he an upd at each time that I may have come in coutact you. After all we grew up totgether in south Arkansas. We will miss her a great deal, but we know tha tlife must go on.

  • Pat Ramsey Posted August 28, 2020 11:12 AM

    Carole was a colleague who became a dear friend over the years at UCA. I loved her stories and her perspectives on life. No teacher cared for their students more than Carole did, and they returned that love. She was a woman who loved her family, and who was dearly loved by them. I will miss her laugh, and her funny comments about life. I will miss Carole.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:05 AM

      Kay and Joe even though you nevver met Carole we di appreciate your caring for her. Because you two and I were raised togther in Sout Arkansas she knew a great deal about you. We will miss her a great deal but we understand the life must go on.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:11 AM

      Carole would say many times that she neede to contact you and then whe wouldn’t until I would say did you ever contact Pat and thne whe would get busy and do it and then you would not be able to be reached because of the many hours that you spent on History Day and she was always glad to be of assistance when the time came each year to be able to be a judge. We will miss her a breat deal, bu maybe she will be albe to share her knowledge in Heaven with others that was not a big fan of history.

  • Charlene Bland Posted August 28, 2020 4:56 PM

    Carole was a very dear and sweet lady. Last year we spend the afternoon over lunch talking about our days in the history department. She was one of the most considerate people I ever had the pleasure of knowing. She will definitely be missed.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:18 AM

      Charlene, she felt the same way about you and was so gald that she was able to come up and share the lunch with you and some of your family. She mentioned many times just how much she enjoyed getting to do that. She kept saying we need to get you to come down here and spend some more time together. She said that you were truly a special lady and was glad that she could always refer to you as a special friend. We will mis her a great deal, but we have been taught that death is out of our control until we meet again in Heaven.

  • Donna Johnson Posted August 28, 2020 8:56 PM

    I worked with Carol in the history department at UCA for 14 years and History Day after I left the department. It was a joy to work with her. She was always happy and loved her work and students. She let my daughter and I use her home to change into her wedding dress to have pictures taken at the Old Mill. We even had some pictures taken on her front steps. She will be missed by all her family and friends! RIP Carol.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:45 AM

      Donna, the feeling was mutual and even though you decided to transfer from the History Department she still liked to stay in touch as much as she dould through the years.

  • Glyna Patterson Posted August 30, 2020 9:51 PM

    Bruce, my sincere sympathy to you and your children. I’m sorry for your loss.

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:49 AM

      Gluna, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Maybe some day in the future we can meet again in Heaver and she will be tying to explain to me again about how History is so important. We will miss her a great deal, but we have been taught that lif is just a short time her on earth.

  • David O’Hara Posted September 4, 2020 5:24 PM

    Carole was an original. My lasting memory – her doggedness in climbing all four floors, from her classroom to her office at the top of Irby Hall, several times a day. A sweet lady!

    • Bruce Carter Posted September 14, 2020 11:55 AM

      David, she did that so many times of for no other reason jut to prove that she could do it. You were such a friend and enjoyed to getting to know you and compare the times that you were able to discuss the students that you had and even those that did not think that History was something that they should know more about. We will miss her a great deal, but maybe at some point in time you can carry on talking history.

      • Brandi Koch Posted December 24, 2020 5:30 AM

        Carole Carter was one of my favorite professors at UCA. I came from a very small school and she always made me feel that closeness in her class. In fact, she labeled me and 2 other friends her “3 Wonderview Angels” and would always say her 3 angel pin that she would wear was us. Such a sweet and thoughtful lady that I am so glad I got to learn from. Many prayers for your family, especially during this holiday season that I know she loved so much

  • Brandi Koch Posted December 24, 2020 5:30 AM

    Carole Carter was one of my favorite professors at UCA. I came from a very small school and she always made me feel that closeness in her class. In fact, she labeled me and 2 other friends her “3 Wonderview Angels” and would always say her 3 angel pin that she would wear was us. Such a sweet and thoughtful lady that I am so glad I got to learn from. Many prayers for your family, especially during this holiday season that I know she loved so much

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