Violet Craft Stroud

Violet Craft Stroud, age 85, of Pink Hill, NC passed away Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston, NC surrounded by her loving family.

Her life ended where it began. A Kinston native, born Jan. 22, 1934, to Joseph Leon and Lena Belle Craft, Violet grew up in East Kinston and was always a proud "East Kinston girl" and proud of her Kinston roots.

Violet married Harold Edwin Stroud, who would later serve as Mayor of Pink Hill, in Richlands, NC. They resided in Pink Hill where they raised four children. They were married one month short of sixty years.

She and Harold were true life partners and pursued many entrepreneurial endeavors during their life together. She was a principal in Har-Scott, Inc., a women's apparel manufacturing company based in Pink Hill. At its peak, Har-Scott was a significant employer providing jobs for hundreds of families in southern Lenoir County. She was later a principal in Amadeus International, Inc., a boutique men's neckwear manufacturer based in Kinston. Violet was always a tireless worker. She would regularly be the first one at the factory in the morning and worked long days while raising her children.

In retirement, Violet ran Stroud's Trees a Christmas tree destination that brought seasonal happiness to thousands of families over the years. Nothing brought Violet more happiness than bringing Christmas joy to families with beautiful Fraser Fir Christmas trees and wreaths that she made by hand.

Violet also engaged in charitable activities over the years and was recognized for fundraising for cancer research. Her greatest charitable and humanitarian accomplishment was the sponsoring of a Vietnamese family fleeing Communist Vietnam. The family embodies the very definition of the American dream and built successful businesses and lives in Silver Spring, Md.

In addition to her charitable activities, Violet was involved in her community. She worked as a volunteer with the Pink Hill Liberty Festival and in later years was an active participant in Pink Hill Community Watch and a member of the Pink Hill Ruritan Club.

Violet had a strong Christian faith and was a member of the Bethel Baptist Church of Jonestown. She was instrumental in spreading the word of Jesus Christ through the founding and participation in various community churches over the years including a principal role in building the fellowship hall at the Deep Run First Baptist Church. She also served as a manager of The Miles Family, a popular Christian music group.

Her husband Harold predeceased Violet. She is survived by her son Harold Edwin Stroud, Jr. and his wife Amelita of Pink Hill; daughter Yvonne Deatherage of Pink Hill; daughter Patricia Strange and her husband Johnny of Deep Run, NC; and son Douglas Scott Stroud and his wife Charlene of Jupiter, Fl. She had six grandchildren: Keith Deatherage of Richlands; Candice Dail of Seven Springs, NC; Heather Turner of Pink Hill; Kriston Thompson of Grafenwohr, Germany; Joseph Stroud of Bolivia, NC; and Amedith Stroud of Pink Hill. She also had eight great-grandchildren.

Her extended Vietnamese families are Tien Mai and his wife Ha Vo and their four daughters; Nhu Vo and her husband Nhut Nguyen and their two sons; Thuytrang Vo; Thuan Le and his wife Tro Le and their three daughters and one son, all of Silver Spring, Md.  Also, she is survived by her special niece Linda Price of Gastonia, NC and son-in-law Larry Deatherage of Kinston.

Funeral Services will be held at Pink Hill Funeral Home on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, at 7 p.m. Visitation will immediately follow the service. Burial will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019, at 11 a.m. at Oak Ridge Memorial Park in Pink Hill. Send online condolences to pinkhillfuneralhome.com. Send Memorial contributions to the Bethel Baptist Church of Jonestown Mission Fund, 236 Jonestown Rd., Pink Hill, NC 28572.

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