Daughter of the Davie Record editor, Stroud spent the first 12 years of her life living above the newspaper office. She received her bachelor's degree in music from Salem College. Miss Stroud served as the pianist and organist at the First Baptist Church for 61 years and taught piano lessons for 57 years. Stroud won numerous awards for her musical contributions. She loved to write and published a book, Music Antic Notes, about her recollections as a piano teacher. Stroud had many of her hymns, poems and articles published. She wrote several episodes in the life of Miss Lizzie, a backwoods character with no formal education, and performed them at various community events. Stroud is perhaps best remembered for her newspaper column of recollections of Mocksville. In honor of "Miss Louise," more than 110 people, including many former students, donated to the purchase of a grand piano for the Brock Center, dedicated at a gala in January 2008.