October 20, 2024, 77, Mount Olive —

Mary Ann Stroud Ralph, 77, a resident of the Beautancus community near Mount Olive, passed away Sunday afternoon, October 20, 2024, at ECU Medical Center in Greenville.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 26, at 12:30 p.m. at Tyndall Funeral Home with the Rev. Chris Turner officiating.  Burial will follow in the Roberts Family Cemetery.  Visitation will be before the service, starting at 11:00 a.m.  

Mrs. Ralph had been the owner/operator of Ann’s Draperies, where she designed and created custom-made draperies and other home decorating accessories.  She had also operated Sugarland Restaurant at Beautancus.

Surviving family members include her husband, William R. “Joe” Ralph, of the home; a son, Shane Ralph of Mount Olive; a daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Terry Baumgardner of Poolesville, Maryland; a brother and sister-in-law, James Edward and Jo Ann Stroud of Kaplan, La.; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Elaine S. Kornegay of Mount Olive, and Debra S. and Donnie Bradshaw of Calypso; grandchildren, William Tyler Scheckel, Samantha Wood Scheckel, and partner, Joshua Outlaw, Shaun Baumgardner and wife, Kimberly, and Heather Mees and husband, Phil; great-grandchildren, Cora Mees, Blakeley Baumgardner, Brendan Outlaw, and Steven Outlaw; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James Randolph Stroud and Jim Hazel Roberts Stroud; a daughter-in-law, Tracy Lee Scheckel; a brother, Randy Stroud; a special niece, Katie Lou Stroud; and a brother-in-law, Dennis Kornegay.