Roger Laverne Armstrong, age 72, of Hastings, Minn., (formerly of Albert Lea) died July 28, 2003, at Augustana Health Center, Hastings, due to heart failure.

Roger was born March 23, 1931, in St. Paul to Stuart and Tina [Christensen] Armstrong. Roger was the oldest of four children born to this union – Roger, Rosemary (Rose Marie), Doris and Jack.

Writing a factually accurate obituary for Roger has been a challenge as there are many gaps and unfilled blanks in his life story due to the untimely death of his sister Rose in 1998. Rose was the family historian who kept memories and events alive for her siblings.

The four brothers and sisters were all separated in their childhood as alcoholism left both parents unable to care for them. These were the Depression years and Roger and the other children were taken in by different families to work as they could in exchange for room and board as was the custom at that time. Family contacts were far and few between; Roger did remember helping his dad for a brief time during the wee hours of the morning as Stuart was the Albert Lea night street sweeper.

As Roger grew older he sought to make a better life for himself through the military. Roger served honorably in two branches of the service, It has been said that he was quite a &uot;looker&uot; in both his Navy whites and his bomber jacket. He was discharged from the Navy in 1952, and from the Air Force in 1961.

Information is sketchy about the various jobs Roger held after the service; we know that he loved automobiles and was a good farm hand. For reasons not completely known to us nieces and nephews, Roger could not seem to find a true niche in the &uot;normal&uot; working world and was unable to live independently. Hence, for the last 18 years Roger resided in the Veterans Home at Hastings; he was able to work in the cafeteria there for many years. He had another surrogate family again with the many friendships he established with the other residents as well as with the staff.

Roger, we as a family apologize to you for not knowing more about you, but we do know that you were a good and simple man who did his best. Faith in God and the joy of simple pleasures were treasures to him; may this be a lesson for us all.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Rose; his brother, Jack (who was murdered in a hostage situation in the early 1990s); by his niece, Mitzi Gayle (Doris); by his nephew, Kent Lee Halvorsen (Rose); and his nephew, Todd Eno Halvorsen [Rose).

Roger is survived by his sister, Doris Frances of Mason City, Iowa, and her children, Tanya and Sean. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Carol Armstrong (Jack); brother-in-law, Paul Halvorsen (wife, Darlene Hacker); also Paul’s children, Sheryl Fure, Dawn Dean, Suzanne Peterson, Lynn Halvorsen, Mary Kay Halvorsen, Linda Halvorsen-Hovland, Brenda Finken, Paula Halvorsen, and Joshua Halvorsen; as well a host of cousins and great-nieces and -nephews; special mention of Ray Muedeking (step-father) of Good Samaritan Center; and half-brother, Leroy James Degen.

Roger’s remains were interned at Fort Snelling with full military honors on Friday, Aug. 1, 2003 in the presence of immediate family only, as per his request. Memorial services followed that afternoon at the Hastings Veteran’s Home attended by fellow residents, staff and family.

If any readers of this obituary would know of and be willing to share any special stories of Roger or the other Armstrong children, they would be much appreciated, Please send to Paul Halvorsen, 100th N. Sixth St., Kiester, Minn. 56051.