Elden Foster Armstrong, 78, of Stanwood passed away on June 2, 2015 after a lengthy battle with a hereditary form of COPD. Elden was born on January 31, 1937 in Stanwood, Michigan to Alonzo and Ethel Armstrong. He attended school in Stanwood and Big Rapids, graduating from Big Rapids High School in 1955.
After graduation, Elden joined the United States Air Force with the hope of becoming a jet fighter pilot, but the USAF trained him as an aircraft mechanic and he worked on B-47 and KC-97 aircraft. He later went through electronics school and become an electronic counter measures technician on B-52 aircraft. Elden then went through an advanced electronics school and became a precision measurement equipment technician and supervisor.
While in the USAF he used the GI Bill and earned commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with instrument and multi-engine ratings. In 1978 Elden retired from the USAF and moved his family to Michigan. He was employed at Ferris State University as a pilot and electronics technician and also worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor until his health forced him to retire.
Elden loved to travel and visited all 50 states and most of Europe. He rode motorcycles for nearly 40 years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed hunting with antique rifles and muzzle loaders as well as recurve and long bows. Elden went on many fly-in fishing trips to Canada with friends and family. He was also an avid gardener and maintained a huge vegetable and flower garden.
In 1961, Elden married his wife Faye, who preceded him in death on April 26, 2015. He is survived by his daughters, Joyce (Tim Musolff) Armstrong and Peggy (Jay) Salgat; grandchildren, Matthew, Michael (Kayla), and Taylor Cousineau; and great-grandson, Jaxon. Also surviving are his siblings, Bernie Armstrong, Reva Slyter, Audrey Vining, Maxine Mowan, and David Armstrong; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Shipley.
A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Elden and Faye’s cremains will be interred together at the Fairview Cemetery in Stanwood. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.com
After graduation, Elden joined the United States Air Force with the hope of becoming a jet fighter pilot, but the USAF trained him as an aircraft mechanic and he worked on B-47 and KC-97 aircraft. He later went through electronics school and become an electronic counter measures technician on B-52 aircraft. Elden then went through an advanced electronics school and became a precision measurement equipment technician and supervisor.
While in the USAF he used the GI Bill and earned commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with instrument and multi-engine ratings. In 1978 Elden retired from the USAF and moved his family to Michigan. He was employed at Ferris State University as a pilot and electronics technician and also worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor until his health forced him to retire.
Elden loved to travel and visited all 50 states and most of Europe. He rode motorcycles for nearly 40 years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed hunting with antique rifles and muzzle loaders as well as recurve and long bows. Elden went on many fly-in fishing trips to Canada with friends and family. He was also an avid gardener and maintained a huge vegetable and flower garden.
In 1961, Elden married his wife Faye, who preceded him in death on April 26, 2015. He is survived by his daughters, Joyce (Tim Musolff) Armstrong and Peggy (Jay) Salgat; grandchildren, Matthew, Michael (Kayla), and Taylor Cousineau; and great-grandson, Jaxon. Also surviving are his siblings, Bernie Armstrong, Reva Slyter, Audrey Vining, Maxine Mowan, and David Armstrong; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Shipley.
A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Elden and Faye’s cremains will be interred together at the Fairview Cemetery in Stanwood. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.com
Elden Foster Armstrong, 78, of Stanwood passed away on June 2, 2015 after a lengthy battle with a hereditary form of COPD. Elden was born on January 31, 1937 in Stanwood, Michigan to Alonzo and Ethel Armstrong. He attended school in Stanwood and Big Rapids, graduating from Big Rapids High School in 1955.
After graduation, Elden joined the United States Air Force with the hope of becoming a jet fighter pilot, but the USAF trained him as an aircraft mechanic and he worked on B-47 and KC-97 aircraft. He later went through electronics school and become an electronic counter measures technician on B-52 aircraft. Elden then went through an advanced electronics school and became a precision measurement equipment technician and supervisor.
While in the USAF he used the GI Bill and earned commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with instrument and multi-engine ratings. In 1978 Elden retired from the USAF and moved his family to Michigan. He was employed at Ferris State University as a pilot and electronics technician and also worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor until his health forced him to retire.
Elden loved to travel and visited all 50 states and most of Europe. He rode motorcycles for nearly 40 years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed hunting with antique rifles and muzzle loaders as well as recurve and long bows. Elden went on many fly-in fishing trips to Canada with friends and family. He was also an avid gardener and maintained a huge vegetable and flower garden.
In 1961, Elden married his wife Faye, who preceded him in death on April 26, 2015. He is survived by his daughters, Joyce (Tim Musolff) Armstrong and Peggy (Jay) Salgat; grandchildren, Matthew, Michael (Kayla), and Taylor Cousineau; and great-grandson, Jaxon. Also surviving are his siblings, Bernie Armstrong, Reva Slyter, Audrey Vining, Maxine Mowan, and David Armstrong; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Shipley.
A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Elden and Faye’s cremains will be interred together at the Fairview Cemetery in Stanwood. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.com
After graduation, Elden joined the United States Air Force with the hope of becoming a jet fighter pilot, but the USAF trained him as an aircraft mechanic and he worked on B-47 and KC-97 aircraft. He later went through electronics school and become an electronic counter measures technician on B-52 aircraft. Elden then went through an advanced electronics school and became a precision measurement equipment technician and supervisor.
While in the USAF he used the GI Bill and earned commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with instrument and multi-engine ratings. In 1978 Elden retired from the USAF and moved his family to Michigan. He was employed at Ferris State University as a pilot and electronics technician and also worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor until his health forced him to retire.
Elden loved to travel and visited all 50 states and most of Europe. He rode motorcycles for nearly 40 years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed hunting with antique rifles and muzzle loaders as well as recurve and long bows. Elden went on many fly-in fishing trips to Canada with friends and family. He was also an avid gardener and maintained a huge vegetable and flower garden.
In 1961, Elden married his wife Faye, who preceded him in death on April 26, 2015. He is survived by his daughters, Joyce (Tim Musolff) Armstrong and Peggy (Jay) Salgat; grandchildren, Matthew, Michael (Kayla), and Taylor Cousineau; and great-grandson, Jaxon. Also surviving are his siblings, Bernie Armstrong, Reva Slyter, Audrey Vining, Maxine Mowan, and David Armstrong; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Shipley.
A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Elden and Faye’s cremains will be interred together at the Fairview Cemetery in Stanwood. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.com
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Married: 11 Aug 1964. Parents of Joyce and Peggy.
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