Geneva Maxine McNutt

COLUMBIA CITY – Geneva Maxine McNutt, 96, formerly of Columbia City, died peacefully in the company of family at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at her daughter’s home in Indianapolis.
Born on Jan. 27, 1927, in Wabash County, she was a daughter of the late Edward F. and Leora K. Stoughton Smith. Growing up on the farm in Wabash County, she completed Laketon Elementary School and graduated from Laketon High School in 1945. She continued her education one year at Asbury College and completed St. Joseph Nursing School in Fort Wayne, becoming a registered nurse in 1948.
She went to work as an RN at St Joseph Hospital, then hospitals in Wabash, Huntington, Hicksville, Ohio; McDonald hospital and Alfran Nursing Home and Murphy Medical Center in Warsaw. In 1968, she went to work for William Parke, MD medical practice in Warsaw.
Geneva was married to Donald R. Miller 1950-1971. On May 6, 1973, she married Rev. Carroll L. McNutt. The couple made their home in Auburn where Carroll pastored Indian Village Church of God and they nurtured his three young daughters.
In 1979, the McNutts were called to serve as missionaries in New Mexico and Arizona, to the Navajo Indian Nation. Geneva took a job at Navajo Health Center in 1987 in Tsaile, Ariz. Retiring to Columbia City in 1997, the couple were called to serve the Ari Church of God in Churubusco from 2001-2010. She lost her beloved husband of 48 years, Carroll, on Jan. 29, 2022.
Proud of her 31 years of service as an RN, she raised her first three children, then Carroll’s three daughters. Along with her husband, she enjoyed sharing the word of Jesus Christ our Savior. She loved Christian music, loved to sing and played the accordion and the piano.
Her greatest joy was nursing, helping others and sharing word of the Lord. Since 1997, she made blankets for missions. She enjoyed family and being with her grandchildren.
Surviving are her children, Donald Ray (Vicki) Miller, of Claypool; David Lynn (Barbara) Miller, of Cochabamba, Bolivia, South America; and Kathleen Marie (Jerry) Landrum, of Indianapolis; and stepchildren, Pamela Kay (Randy) King, of Auburn; Marlene Grace (Wayne) Anderson, of Northlake, Texas; and Carolyn Leann (Mark) Nasi, of Albuquerque, N.M.; 15 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Additionally, she was preceded in death by a brother, Arthur Smith; sisters: Onalee Rhoades, Jessie Young and Dorothy Smith; and her first husband, Donald R. Miller.
Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov 11 at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City. The funeral service is 2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home with one hour of visitation prior. The burial is 10 a.m. on Monday at the Roann Community Cemetery in Roann.
Memorials in Geneva’s honor to the Church of God Mission, Findlay, Ohio. Preferred memorials are to Bear Lake Camp.
Condolences may be sent to www.smithandsonsfuneralhome.com.