“Because I said so.”
That was our Mom’s go-to rationale for many things.
Freda A. (Flad) Stroud was born in Trout Run on October 14, 1939, to Ernest and Laura Flad, Mom was one of ten children: Howard, Ernest, Jr., Flora, George, Glenn, Kathryn, Irvin, Richard, and Linda. All but Richard preceded her in death. On October 23, 2018, our Lord called Mom home.
Mom was blessed with seven children. Of the seven, there were two sets of twins: Brenda Ross (Paul) and Glenda Stroud being the oldest set and Daniel Stroud (Sue) and JoAnn Sechrist (Steve) being the youngest set. In between came Robert Stroud (Karen), Michael Stroud (Gitti) and Deborah Fisher (Brett).
God gifted her with grandchildren Torry Stroud, Donald Stroud, Angela Stroud, Zachary Stroud, Mia Stroud, Rebekah Fisher, Ariel Crossman, Kayla Muhamad, Robert Confer, Dustin Homan, and Cassondra Ross, and nine great grandchildren.
Mom was not financially rich but her heart was full of riches. Her faith and love for God gave her the strength to teach us right from wrong, and to take care of us when we were sick. She taught us to be kind, humble, and respectful of others—just as we would want to be treated. We have so much to thank Mom for: ethics, kindness, integrity, manners, and appreciation.
Mom enjoyed Jeopardy, jigsaw puzzles, bingo, Scrabble, and cards. Even as her health failed, her competitive spirit did not. Her special joy above all else was spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren—and eating ice cream. She also was an active member of the Ladies Auxillary Club of the Loyalsock Volunteer Fire Company, Station 18.
Mom was quiet, yet strong. Gentle, yet firm. She was classy, she was sassy, she was kind, she never whined, she was a mother like no other. Through heartaches, hardships, and sickness, she was our rock, our foundation, our strength. She left us a legacy of unconditional love, strong values, and dry, cutting wit.
So, when Mom told us that we had to let her go because she was tired and was ready to go home, we said, “Ok, mom, because you said so.”
Tribute of Life services for Freda will be held at the Trout Run United Methodist Church, 78 Creamery St. Trout Run on Friday, October 26 at 11:00am.
Visitation will be Thursday, Oct 25, 2018 from 5 pm - 7 pm at Maneval Allen Redmond Cremation & Funeral Home, 500 W. Fourth St., Williamsport and Friday 10 am – 11 am at the church. Burial will be at Trout Run Cemetery.
To leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.jamesmaneval.com.
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