Lee Stroud

Graveside service for Lee Stroud will will be held 11:00 a.m., Monday, July 25, 2016 at the Chelsea Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 24, 2016 from 1-6 p.m with family receiving friends from 4-6 p.m.

Lee Stroud, known to many as “Red”, passed away on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at the age of 91.

The son of Earl and Esther Harris Stroud was born May 22, 1925, in Huntsville, Arkansas. As a young boy he grew up running around the banks of the War Eagle River. Then as he entered his teenage years, his family moved to Chelsea. He spent the next few years in Chelsea before beginning his working career.

At the age of 15, Lee left home to work in Tulsa. He took a construction job, driving a road grader. However, with the outbreak of World War II, Lee joined the United States Army. With his background in construction, Lee again found himself running a road grader, rebuilding the famous Burma Road. After the war ended, Lee returned home. Over the next few years he worked several different jobs. He drove a propane truck in Arkansas, he logged trees in Oregon, and eventually bought a dry cleaning business in Utah.

While in Utah, Lee met Beverly Fern Christensen. They would marry on December 27, 1960, in Las Vegas. Over the next couple of years, the family moved to Arizona for a short time before moving to Chelsea in the mid 1960’s. He then began helping his dad in the insurance business. However, this wouldn’t be his only business venture. Together with Beverly, he would eventually become involved in real estate, and purchase the local Jiffy Mart.

In his spare time Lee had several hobbies that kept him busy. One of his favorites was raising draft horses and spotted mules. He loved entering them in competitions all over the country. There were also hunting dogs, all of which he loved to train, trade, and sell.

Lee is preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Esther, wife, Beverly, grandson, Kyle McAlister, and brothers, Douglas and Kenneth Stroud.

Survivors include his children: son, Jim McAlister of Broken Arrow; daughters, Leslie Wojcik and husband Tony of Blanding, UT, and Shelly Kohler and husband Steve of Vinita; grandchildren, Jamie McKay and husband Marcus, Patrick McAlister and wife Lyndsey, Julie McAlister, Jennifer Knight and husband Zack, Tyler Wojcik and wife Stacy, Summer Ivins and husband David, Rye Wojcik and wife Dawnan, Heather Willets and husband Eddie, Stephanie Tillman and husband Derick, and Leslie Shoemaker and husband Shawn; and great-grandchildren, Shelbie McKay, Finley, Adelaide, Jake, Kylie, Charlie, and Liam McAlister, Colton, Kinley, Wren, and Lauer Wojcik, Andrew, Ameila, and Bonnie Willets, Anna, Allison, and Audrey Tillman, Hayden and Lydia Shoemaker, Javen, Taylor, Porter, and Keaton Ivins, and Keller Case.