Jane Glenn Stroud, 65, of Boiling Springs, NC, passed away on Saturday, April 27, 2018, at Duke University Hospital.

She was the daughter of the late Albert Lee Glenn and Miriam Hamrick Glenn, a life-long resident of Cleveland County, and a member of Boiling Springs Baptist Church.

A graduate of Gardner Webb College, she was a school teacher who spent most of her career at Crest Middle School teaching eighth grade English. She took great pride in seeing her students succeed--especially those who experienced the most difficulty with learning. One of the great joys of her later years was hearing news about her former students and their accomplishments.

After retiring from teaching, she and her husband, Charles Stroud, began selling braided rugs at craft shows, mostly on the weekends. It was a hobby business, and hard work, but they enjoyed it because she loved talking to people and he usually got to go fishing or hunting somewhere nearby when the show was over. Their rug mill had manufactured the checkerboard rugs for Cracker Barrell for years, but braided rugs were the first product they had ever sold directly to customers. They soon began offering the rugs online and the business flourished, expanding beyond the company's other product lines. They decided to focus exclusively on braided rugs in 2013. She was overjoyed when their daughters, Rebecca and Erin Stroud, joined them in the family business the following year. She shared the story of the business's challenges and successes in 2014 when she gave the commencement address at the graduation ceremony for Gardner Webb's Business School.

As the business grew, she spent her time focusing on the employees, who were very much like her students and children--she cared deeply for them, expected a lot, and was always there to help.

Above all, she enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, many of whom were as close as family. She and Charles frequently escaped to Lake James, where the serenity of nature and slower pace of life were a welcome respite. She cherished her time with her granddaughters, who made her feel young again.

The last year of her life was a difficult one, but she faced it with courage, poise, and determination that was an inspiration to her friends and family. The summer before her passing, she was diagnosed with a rare disorder of the blood vessels in her lungs. Transplant was the only treatment. At age sixty-four, knowing the risks and difficult journey ahead, she opted to undergo the transplant process. She and Charles moved to Raleigh to be near Duke University. She endured months of challenging physical therapy to prepare for the surgery. Through it all, she maintained her strong faith and will to live and a keen sense of humor. Unfortunately, several rare complications after transplant claimed her life. Charles was by her side each step of the way. During their twenty-nine years of marriage, tough times had always brought them together. They were never closer than at the time of her passing.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by four children: Gerry Lipscomb (wife Anna), a novelist, of Raleigh; Patrick Lipscomb (wife Lindsay), of Forest City; Rebecca Stroud, Stroud Braided Rugs, of Boiling Springs, NC; and Erin Stroud, Stroud Braided Rugs, of Boiling Springs, NC. She was the grandmother of three wonderful granddaughters: Jessi Laine James (12), Gemma--Grace Peighton Kee (2), and Emerson Anne Lipscomb (20 months). She is also survived by her brothers Albert Lee Glenn Jr. (wife Sandy) of Pickens, SC; John Charles Glenn (wife Sherri) of Boiling Springs, NC; and sister, Marjorie Glenn Busby (husband Ted).

The family wishes to thank the Duke University Lung Transplant Program for the extraordinary care they provided during the final year of her life.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018 at Boiling Springs Baptist Church, by the Reverend Keith McKinney and Reverend Bonnie Doughtie. The family will receive friends following the service at the Life Enrichment Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Boiling Springs Baptist Church to fund the purchase of an activity bus for seniors and youth. Mailing address: BSBC, PO Box 917, Boiling Springs, NC, 28017.

Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family of Mrs. Stroud.

Guest Registry is available at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com