Bessie P. Stroud, age 95, of McKinney, Texas, passed away November 13, 2012, in McKinney. Bessie was born January 28, 1917, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Leroy and Emmie Jane (Burch) Otwell, Sr. She met the love of her life, Harrold Stroud and their love story was captured in Life magazine in 1942. Bessie was a strong Christian woman and was active in church all of her life. She was a member of First Baptist Church of McKinney where she participated in a group who knit stocking caps for cancer patients, called Yarns of Hope.
She is survived by her daughter, Lynda Moore and husband, Charles of Allen, Texas; son, Terry Stroud and wife, Brenda of El Paso, Texas; grandchildren, Cheryl Moore Woods and husband, Charles of McKinney, Texas, Chris Moore of Allen, Texas, Cathleen Castellaw and husband, Jonathan, also of McKinney, Adam Stroud of Austin, Texas, and Katie Stroud of El Paso, Texas; great-grandchildren, Hannah Moore, Emma Woods, Jacob Woods, Caleb Castellaw, and Jillian Stroud; brother, Orel G. Otwell of La Porte, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Harrold H. Stroud, daughter, Mickey Stroud, four sisters, and two brothers.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 16, 2012, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Chapel in Allen, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Thursday evening at the funeral home. Interment services will be held at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas at a time to be determined later.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Yarns of Hope, c/o FBC McKinney or the Wounded Warrior Project.