Mary Rosemarie (Lawson) Stroud

Following a 27 year valiant battle with Cerebellar Ataxia, Mary Rosemarie (Lawson) Stroud, age 76, transitioned from this lifeat Hickory Creek of Crawfordsville to her eternal heavenly home at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.

Early Life: She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 19, 1948 to Rev. John Franklin Lawson and Lillian Faye (Chappell) Lawson. Being the daughter of a parsonage family, she attended several schools in Indiana.

Early Adult Life: She married Roy Lee Stroud in Terre Haute, Indiana, on June 17, 1967 at the former Greenwood Wesleyan Church in Terre Haute, Indiana. They were married by Roy’s father, the late Rev. Paul Stroud.

Employment: Early on in the marriage, she was employed as a telephone operator. She worked hard to help support her family while Roy was attending Indiana State University. She was later employed by the St. Vincent Hospital in Williamsport, Indiana for roughly 30 years and until 2004 when she retired due to her health issues with Ataxia.

Education: Her early high school years were at Scottsburg High School. However, she graduated from West Vigo High School in West Terre Haute, Indiana in 1966.

Community: She attended the West Lebanon Church of the Nazarene and the Covington Church of the Nazarene for a combined total of 43 years. She later attended Crossroads Church of the Nazarene near Crawfordsville when the family moved there to be closer to their daughter due to her health complications. She served on the church board of directors as a Steward helping with church and funeral dinners. She also was involved with music and children’s work such as Vacation Bible School.

Impact on Others: She impacted others in such a powerful way in her work environment as well as the senior care facility where she resided for the past six years. She always had a smile for everyone, and when asked how she was, she always replied, “I am fine,” with a big smile. She will be so missed by everyone who knew her. She let others know about her salvation with Jesus Christ as well.

Survived by: Mary is survived by her husband, Roy Lee Stroud, to whom she was married for nearly 58 years, three children: Michael Stroud (Shelly) of Manteno, Illinois; Kimberly Deel of Crawfordsville, Indiana; and Timothy Stroud (Molly) of West Terre Haute, Indiana. She also is survived by seven grandchildren, Luke Stroud (Jordan); Conner Stroud (Jessi), Rylie Stroud, Matt Deel, Megan Deel, Marie Swanson (Jacob), Brandon Stroud, and two great grandchildren, Blakely and Jax Stroud. Also surviving are Linda (Steve) Young, Terre Haute, Indiana; John Lawson, Terre Haute, Indiana; and Kathy Weinart (Mike) of California.

Preceded in death by: Father, Rev. John Franklin Lawson in 2000, her mother, Lillian Faye (Chappell) Lawson in 1960, her step-mother, Virginia (Holland) Lawson Mills in 2014, and a brother, Richard Lawson in 2017.

Mary enjoyed her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed gospel music. Mary and Roy attended Gaither Family Fest and the National Quartet Convention for many years until she was no longer able to attend. Mary and Roy had a dream of living in a log home. With due thanks to the good Lord, they moved into their new log home in 2002. They were able to design and build their dream home. They had a pond built and stocked it well for the grandkids. She enjoyed spending time in the kitchen cooking for her family or her church family. She made “cooking” look easy. She also was an avid reader of Christian fiction.

Although she will be missed by her family and friends, we celebrate cheerfully that she now has a new body and now will be able to walk again. She may have lost the battle, but she won the war by receiving her eternal reward.

Celebration of Life: People wanting to share their condolences may attend a visitation at the West Lebanon Church of the Nazarene (5th & High Streets) from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, May 3, 2025. A celebration of life will follow in the church sanctuary. A graveside service will occur at the Sunset Memorial Gardens in Danville, Illinois.

The family requests that donations be made in lieu of flowers to the following:

https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/national-ataxia-foundation/general-donation-form.