Alma Katherine Crow Stroud

Mrs. Alma Katherine Crow Stroud was always a gracious Christian woman who loved her family and friends, her church, the hundreds of students she taught during her years at Park Hills Elementary School in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and many homebound she served through Meals on Wheels. She died August 26 at age 92 in Douglasville, Georgia after an extended stay at Douglasville Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility. A graduate of Winthrop College, Mrs. Stroud taught elementary school or almost 30 years and had a passion for helping children. After retirement, she mentored students at Houston Elementary School in Spartanburg. She and her husband, Jack, were faithful deliverers of Meals on Wheels in Spartanburg for a number of years after their retirement. Alma was a member of Pi Gamma Phi Sorority. Mr. and Mrs. Stroud were active members of First Baptist Church of Spartanburg for over seven decades. She was always a caring and involved person in whatever community she lived in and embodied the grace and elegance of a true southern Christian woman. “Mrs. Alma” was never seen without a coordinating outfit, matching jewelry, coiffured hair, matching purse and a smile on her face. She loved themed parties that involved decorated party hats and working with arts and crafts. In recent months her passion was her nine month old great grandson, Boulder. Her face lit up when he entered her room and she asked about him frequently when was not there. Mrs. Stroud was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Jack Allen Stroud, Sr., her parents, Smith and Ethel Belcher Crow, and her twin great granddaughters, Sage and Aspen Barrett. She is survived by her son and daughter in law, Jack and Karen Stroud of Douglasville; two granddaughters, Shelby Stroud of Panama City Beach, FL and Stacy Stroud Barrett and her husband, Chris, and great grandson, Boulder Barrett of Monroe, GA. She was born in and spent most of her life in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The first born of nine children, she is survived by four siblings: Smith “Buddy” Crow, Jr. and wife, Evelyn of Eden, NC; Ronald Crow and wife, Martha of Pinehurst, NC; Margaret Crow Risch Kime and Elizabeth “Lib” Crow Wood, and husband Bob Wood of Spartanburg, SC. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews including nephew David Crow of Douglasville and his wife, Lisa. Mrs. Stroud was preceded in death by her siblings Marvin Crow of Greenville, SC and Pinehurst, NC who is survived by his wife, Betty; Virginia “Ginny” Crow Brown of Spartanburg; Helen Crow Wilson of Burlington, NC and an infant brother, Tallmadge Crow who died at birth. Funeral arrangements were coordinated by Jones-Wynn Funeral Home in Douglasville and J.F. Floyd Mortuary in Spartanburg, SC. The service was Monday, August 28, 2006 at 1:00 PM at Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel with interment following in the Greenlawn Cemetery. A retired First Baptist Church Minister, the Rev. Bob Morgan, officiated the service. Messages of condolences to the family may be sent to www.jones-wynn.com.