Lutie Exer Clark Williams
1936—2025
“She made the world brighter with her smile and softer with her grace.”
Lutie Exer Clark Williams, age 89, a resident of Pilgrim, entered her Eternal Kingdom to be reunited with loved ones Aug. 31, 2025.
Lutie was born in the summer of 1936, on Aug. 4. She was the blessing of the late Fannie H. and Haskell T. Clark.
Lutie was a proud graduate of Warfield High School where she was voted most likely to succeed and earned the honor of being the class Valedictorian. She knew from an early age that she was meant to teach. Lutie furthered her education at Pikeville College before beginning a rewarding career as a teacher for the Martin County School Board. Lutie devoted over 30 years to shaping the hearts and minds of the children in Martin County. Working with those children and running into them outside of school brought her so much joy. Whether it was one of her students or a child that her husband coached, she cherished those encounters. Lutie served as a librarian at Pigeon Roost Elementary and had a love for books. She was an avid reader, and you could find her curled up with a book many times. She continued her love for books throughout her entire life.
Lutie was an example of character and grace. She carried herself in a way that let others know she was a woman of Christian faith and values. Her home was always welcoming as she was a gracious host to others. Lutie was always waiting with a friendly, welcoming smile. As graceful as she was, Lutie never had a problem getting a little bit of dirt on her hands. Her work ethic was instilled in her as a young lady working hard alongside her mother in the garden and the love for the outdoors remained in her heart throughout the years.
Lutie loved being out in God’s creation. It brought her much peace and on any given warm day it was nothing to see Lutie outside in a floppy hat and her “Old Clothes” mowing grass or working in her beautiful flower beds. Her love for outdoors was not limited to her yard. Lutie also loved getting a little mud on the tires and enjoying a four-wheeling adventure with husband Johnny or the thrill of finding blackberries alongside a country back road.
Her spirit was loving, her soul was kind, and her blood ran blue for her Kentucky Wildcats. If the “CATS” were playing, then she was watching. Lutie loved to watch those games alongside Johnny. Lutie had a soft spot for animals, especially her dogs, cats, and horses and her caring nature made her a friendly companion for them.
Lutie’s life was one of love, faith, and devotion- to her family, her students, her community, and her Savior. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness, strength, and grace that will continue to live on in the countless lives she touched. Though she will be deeply missed, the memories she created and the example she set will remain a guiding light for all who knew her. Her journey here has ended, but her eternal reward has just begun.
In addition to her parents, Lutie is enjoying a Heavenly reunion with her husband, Johnny C. Williams, of whom she wed in 1960 and shared a life full of devotion and partnership until his passing in 2021, her late sisters Joann Tudor, Betty Sparks, and Shelby S. Jarrell, and one brother James T. Clark.
Left behind to cherish her memories are her devoted sister, Sara M. Hall and her husband Howard C. Hall, Jr. of Winchester, and her devoted brothers, David Len Clark and his wife Gerrie Damron Clark of Pikeville.
Lutie will also be remembered with love by her special friends, whom she considered family: Phyllis Jude Young and her husband, Don Young; Raymond “Rainbow” Jude and his wife, JoAnn Jude; and her precious nieces and nephews, as well as her extended family of cousins.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, at 1 p.m. in the chapel of Crum Funeral Home with Roy Penix officiating. Burial will follow in the Harmon Cemetery of Pilgrim. Friends may visit the funeral home on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, beginning at 11 a.m. until time of the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky for the Lutie E. Clark Williams Memorial Scholarship at 420 Main Street, Hazard, KY 41701. Arrangements are under the direction of Crum Funeral Home of Inez.