Vernelle F. “Sam” Armstrong, of Spearfish died January 2, 2014 in the loving care of the staff at Belle Fourche Healthcare. She lost the long battle with dementia.
Vernelle Fay Ice was born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, on September 14, 1938, to Larue Martha Leitner Ice and Jesse Randall Ice. Five years later Vernelle was joined by a little sister, Cheryl Lynn. In 1947, Larue and Randall died in a plane crash, and the two girls, ages 8 and 3, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Chuck and Hazel Ice.
Vernelle grew up in Spearfish, South Dakota, and went on to college at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where she met her future husband, Clare Alexander Armstrong, in the fall of 1957. They married on Friday the 13th of June, 1958. They began their family in April 1959, when their first child, Cynda Louise, was born. Over the next ten years the family grew with Scott Randall, Kristi Kae, Keith David, and Charles Alexander.
The family moved often — Vermillion, Rapid City, Murdo, Winner, Pickstown, Mobridge, Des Moines Iowa, Sioux Falls South Dakota, and back to Des Moines — following Clare’s Northwestern Bell/U S West career. In South Dakota Vernelle worked outside the home to help support their growing family, except for a five-year “vacation” after their son Chuck was born, and when she became a Cub Scout leader, Girl Scout leader, piano teacher, and creator of wedding and novelty cakes as “Cakes by Vernelle.” She was a member and State President of ESA, a philanthropic organization, and a church organist, board member, and choir director.
In Des Moines Vernelle became “Sam,” and continued working in a variety of jobs, she drove a semi-truck over the road, sold insurance door to door, was office manager in a U.S. Senate political campaign, was a personnel “head hunter,” and of course filled in between with secretarial, administrative assistant, and office manager positions at a radio station headquarters, a bank corporation headquarters, an architectural firm, a homebuilder, a legal consulting firm, and retired as Administrative Office Manager at Kirkham Michael and Associates, a civil engineering firm. She was on the steering committee for the organization of, and the first president of the Cobblestone Homeowners Association in Urbandale, Iowa. She was president and long-time member of Metro Women's Network in Des Moines.
Sam supported her children’s sports — synchronized swimming and hockey — and coached soccer. She considered her greatest accomplishment to be “rolling backward into the deep end of a swimming pool, which ended her life-long fear of water. She went on to certify as an advanced open-water scuba diver. She and Clare went twice to the Bahamas to dive in the Devil’s Triangle, as well as to various lakes in the U.S. Sam later drew on her unusual experiences (such as “kissing” a barracuda) when she became a motivational speaker.
As their children began to leave home to create their own families, Sam finished her college work and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.
Sam and Clare took in two grandchildren in 1987. Felicia Kristi Shields was later adopted by Cynda and her husband Andy Clevenger. Sam and Clare adopted Ian Alexander Shields in 1991. This union was not successful, and he was placed in various institutions from his early teens till age18.
In order to give all the grandchildren the opportunity to play with and know each other, Sam and Clare created GAGGKK (Great Annual GramSam and Grumpa’s Krazy Kampout) taking them all, in the summers for seven days of camping — Colorado, Black Hills, Nebraska, Iowa, and Yellowstone. Actually, not ALL the grandchildren. They had to be potty trained or three years old, whichever was Later! There were only seven grandchildren at the first GAGGKK.
Sam’s and Clare’s lives together were not all smooth and trouble-free. Though they both carried many wonderful personal and family memories, Sam was plagued most of her life with a depression that was not diagnosed until late 1991. With counseling, and later, medication, Sam finally came out into the sunshine. She was able to make it with considerable difficulty through the rough times she and Clare had in dealing with Ian, with her mother’s sudden death, and with her dad’s long illness. In June 2000, they moved “home” to Spearfish, and soon built their “final” home on a small mountain. Finally in August the judge ordered termination of their rights and high financial responsibilities regarding Ian. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with stress-induced dementia, which was later well controlled with medication.
Sam loved her husband and children dearly. Each child was a “favorite” in some special way. She felt fortunate to have her five children and their families, and was proud of all their successes.
Sam had her own strong faith in God and a philosophy of honesty and fairness. Rights with responsibility. Equal opportunity for all people — black, white, yellow, red, male, female, gay, or straight. Sam was a feminist and activist.
Sam’s goal was to leave at least a little part of the world better than she found it.
She is preceded in death by her sister, Cheryl Ice; parents, Randall and Laure Ice and Chuck and Hazel Ice; grandparents, John and Pearl Leitner, Orley and Fay Loughlin, and Clyde Ice. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Clare Armstrong, Spearfish; children, Cynda (Alan) Wessel, Pine Haven WY, Scott (Melanie) Armstrong, Polo IL, Kristi (Lawrence Wattier) Armstrong, Belle Fourche SD, Keith (Debbie McCauley) , Chuck (Terrie) Armstrong; 16 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, January 10, 2013 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish. In lieu of flowers, memorial has been established to benefit Hospice of the Northern Hills.
Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish.
[Obituary and photo from Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Services, Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota]
__________
NOTE: After their parents, Jessie Randall Ice and LaRue Martha (Leitner) Ice, were killed in an airplane crash in 1947, Vernelle and her sister, Cheryl Lynn Ice, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Charles and Hazel Ice.
Vernelle Fay Ice was born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, on September 14, 1938, to Larue Martha Leitner Ice and Jesse Randall Ice. Five years later Vernelle was joined by a little sister, Cheryl Lynn. In 1947, Larue and Randall died in a plane crash, and the two girls, ages 8 and 3, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Chuck and Hazel Ice.
Vernelle grew up in Spearfish, South Dakota, and went on to college at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where she met her future husband, Clare Alexander Armstrong, in the fall of 1957. They married on Friday the 13th of June, 1958. They began their family in April 1959, when their first child, Cynda Louise, was born. Over the next ten years the family grew with Scott Randall, Kristi Kae, Keith David, and Charles Alexander.
The family moved often — Vermillion, Rapid City, Murdo, Winner, Pickstown, Mobridge, Des Moines Iowa, Sioux Falls South Dakota, and back to Des Moines — following Clare’s Northwestern Bell/U S West career. In South Dakota Vernelle worked outside the home to help support their growing family, except for a five-year “vacation” after their son Chuck was born, and when she became a Cub Scout leader, Girl Scout leader, piano teacher, and creator of wedding and novelty cakes as “Cakes by Vernelle.” She was a member and State President of ESA, a philanthropic organization, and a church organist, board member, and choir director.
In Des Moines Vernelle became “Sam,” and continued working in a variety of jobs, she drove a semi-truck over the road, sold insurance door to door, was office manager in a U.S. Senate political campaign, was a personnel “head hunter,” and of course filled in between with secretarial, administrative assistant, and office manager positions at a radio station headquarters, a bank corporation headquarters, an architectural firm, a homebuilder, a legal consulting firm, and retired as Administrative Office Manager at Kirkham Michael and Associates, a civil engineering firm. She was on the steering committee for the organization of, and the first president of the Cobblestone Homeowners Association in Urbandale, Iowa. She was president and long-time member of Metro Women's Network in Des Moines.
Sam supported her children’s sports — synchronized swimming and hockey — and coached soccer. She considered her greatest accomplishment to be “rolling backward into the deep end of a swimming pool, which ended her life-long fear of water. She went on to certify as an advanced open-water scuba diver. She and Clare went twice to the Bahamas to dive in the Devil’s Triangle, as well as to various lakes in the U.S. Sam later drew on her unusual experiences (such as “kissing” a barracuda) when she became a motivational speaker.
As their children began to leave home to create their own families, Sam finished her college work and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.
Sam and Clare took in two grandchildren in 1987. Felicia Kristi Shields was later adopted by Cynda and her husband Andy Clevenger. Sam and Clare adopted Ian Alexander Shields in 1991. This union was not successful, and he was placed in various institutions from his early teens till age18.
In order to give all the grandchildren the opportunity to play with and know each other, Sam and Clare created GAGGKK (Great Annual GramSam and Grumpa’s Krazy Kampout) taking them all, in the summers for seven days of camping — Colorado, Black Hills, Nebraska, Iowa, and Yellowstone. Actually, not ALL the grandchildren. They had to be potty trained or three years old, whichever was Later! There were only seven grandchildren at the first GAGGKK.
Sam’s and Clare’s lives together were not all smooth and trouble-free. Though they both carried many wonderful personal and family memories, Sam was plagued most of her life with a depression that was not diagnosed until late 1991. With counseling, and later, medication, Sam finally came out into the sunshine. She was able to make it with considerable difficulty through the rough times she and Clare had in dealing with Ian, with her mother’s sudden death, and with her dad’s long illness. In June 2000, they moved “home” to Spearfish, and soon built their “final” home on a small mountain. Finally in August the judge ordered termination of their rights and high financial responsibilities regarding Ian. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with stress-induced dementia, which was later well controlled with medication.
Sam loved her husband and children dearly. Each child was a “favorite” in some special way. She felt fortunate to have her five children and their families, and was proud of all their successes.
Sam had her own strong faith in God and a philosophy of honesty and fairness. Rights with responsibility. Equal opportunity for all people — black, white, yellow, red, male, female, gay, or straight. Sam was a feminist and activist.
Sam’s goal was to leave at least a little part of the world better than she found it.
She is preceded in death by her sister, Cheryl Ice; parents, Randall and Laure Ice and Chuck and Hazel Ice; grandparents, John and Pearl Leitner, Orley and Fay Loughlin, and Clyde Ice. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Clare Armstrong, Spearfish; children, Cynda (Alan) Wessel, Pine Haven WY, Scott (Melanie) Armstrong, Polo IL, Kristi (Lawrence Wattier) Armstrong, Belle Fourche SD, Keith (Debbie McCauley) , Chuck (Terrie) Armstrong; 16 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, January 10, 2013 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish. In lieu of flowers, memorial has been established to benefit Hospice of the Northern Hills.
Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish.
[Obituary and photo from Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Services, Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota]
__________
NOTE: After their parents, Jessie Randall Ice and LaRue Martha (Leitner) Ice, were killed in an airplane crash in 1947, Vernelle and her sister, Cheryl Lynn Ice, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Charles and Hazel Ice.
Vernelle F. “Sam” Armstrong, of Spearfish died January 2, 2014 in the loving care of the staff at Belle Fourche Healthcare. She lost the long battle with dementia.
Vernelle Fay Ice was born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, on September 14, 1938, to Larue Martha Leitner Ice and Jesse Randall Ice. Five years later Vernelle was joined by a little sister, Cheryl Lynn. In 1947, Larue and Randall died in a plane crash, and the two girls, ages 8 and 3, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Chuck and Hazel Ice.
Vernelle grew up in Spearfish, South Dakota, and went on to college at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where she met her future husband, Clare Alexander Armstrong, in the fall of 1957. They married on Friday the 13th of June, 1958. They began their family in April 1959, when their first child, Cynda Louise, was born. Over the next ten years the family grew with Scott Randall, Kristi Kae, Keith David, and Charles Alexander.
The family moved often — Vermillion, Rapid City, Murdo, Winner, Pickstown, Mobridge, Des Moines Iowa, Sioux Falls South Dakota, and back to Des Moines — following Clare’s Northwestern Bell/U S West career. In South Dakota Vernelle worked outside the home to help support their growing family, except for a five-year “vacation” after their son Chuck was born, and when she became a Cub Scout leader, Girl Scout leader, piano teacher, and creator of wedding and novelty cakes as “Cakes by Vernelle.” She was a member and State President of ESA, a philanthropic organization, and a church organist, board member, and choir director.
In Des Moines Vernelle became “Sam,” and continued working in a variety of jobs, she drove a semi-truck over the road, sold insurance door to door, was office manager in a U.S. Senate political campaign, was a personnel “head hunter,” and of course filled in between with secretarial, administrative assistant, and office manager positions at a radio station headquarters, a bank corporation headquarters, an architectural firm, a homebuilder, a legal consulting firm, and retired as Administrative Office Manager at Kirkham Michael and Associates, a civil engineering firm. She was on the steering committee for the organization of, and the first president of the Cobblestone Homeowners Association in Urbandale, Iowa. She was president and long-time member of Metro Women's Network in Des Moines.
Sam supported her children’s sports — synchronized swimming and hockey — and coached soccer. She considered her greatest accomplishment to be “rolling backward into the deep end of a swimming pool, which ended her life-long fear of water. She went on to certify as an advanced open-water scuba diver. She and Clare went twice to the Bahamas to dive in the Devil’s Triangle, as well as to various lakes in the U.S. Sam later drew on her unusual experiences (such as “kissing” a barracuda) when she became a motivational speaker.
As their children began to leave home to create their own families, Sam finished her college work and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.
Sam and Clare took in two grandchildren in 1987. Felicia Kristi Shields was later adopted by Cynda and her husband Andy Clevenger. Sam and Clare adopted Ian Alexander Shields in 1991. This union was not successful, and he was placed in various institutions from his early teens till age18.
In order to give all the grandchildren the opportunity to play with and know each other, Sam and Clare created GAGGKK (Great Annual GramSam and Grumpa’s Krazy Kampout) taking them all, in the summers for seven days of camping — Colorado, Black Hills, Nebraska, Iowa, and Yellowstone. Actually, not ALL the grandchildren. They had to be potty trained or three years old, whichever was Later! There were only seven grandchildren at the first GAGGKK.
Sam’s and Clare’s lives together were not all smooth and trouble-free. Though they both carried many wonderful personal and family memories, Sam was plagued most of her life with a depression that was not diagnosed until late 1991. With counseling, and later, medication, Sam finally came out into the sunshine. She was able to make it with considerable difficulty through the rough times she and Clare had in dealing with Ian, with her mother’s sudden death, and with her dad’s long illness. In June 2000, they moved “home” to Spearfish, and soon built their “final” home on a small mountain. Finally in August the judge ordered termination of their rights and high financial responsibilities regarding Ian. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with stress-induced dementia, which was later well controlled with medication.
Sam loved her husband and children dearly. Each child was a “favorite” in some special way. She felt fortunate to have her five children and their families, and was proud of all their successes.
Sam had her own strong faith in God and a philosophy of honesty and fairness. Rights with responsibility. Equal opportunity for all people — black, white, yellow, red, male, female, gay, or straight. Sam was a feminist and activist.
Sam’s goal was to leave at least a little part of the world better than she found it.
She is preceded in death by her sister, Cheryl Ice; parents, Randall and Laure Ice and Chuck and Hazel Ice; grandparents, John and Pearl Leitner, Orley and Fay Loughlin, and Clyde Ice. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Clare Armstrong, Spearfish; children, Cynda (Alan) Wessel, Pine Haven WY, Scott (Melanie) Armstrong, Polo IL, Kristi (Lawrence Wattier) Armstrong, Belle Fourche SD, Keith (Debbie McCauley) , Chuck (Terrie) Armstrong; 16 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, January 10, 2013 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish. In lieu of flowers, memorial has been established to benefit Hospice of the Northern Hills.
Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish.
[Obituary and photo from Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Services, Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota]
__________
NOTE: After their parents, Jessie Randall Ice and LaRue Martha (Leitner) Ice, were killed in an airplane crash in 1947, Vernelle and her sister, Cheryl Lynn Ice, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Charles and Hazel Ice.
Vernelle Fay Ice was born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, on September 14, 1938, to Larue Martha Leitner Ice and Jesse Randall Ice. Five years later Vernelle was joined by a little sister, Cheryl Lynn. In 1947, Larue and Randall died in a plane crash, and the two girls, ages 8 and 3, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Chuck and Hazel Ice.
Vernelle grew up in Spearfish, South Dakota, and went on to college at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where she met her future husband, Clare Alexander Armstrong, in the fall of 1957. They married on Friday the 13th of June, 1958. They began their family in April 1959, when their first child, Cynda Louise, was born. Over the next ten years the family grew with Scott Randall, Kristi Kae, Keith David, and Charles Alexander.
The family moved often — Vermillion, Rapid City, Murdo, Winner, Pickstown, Mobridge, Des Moines Iowa, Sioux Falls South Dakota, and back to Des Moines — following Clare’s Northwestern Bell/U S West career. In South Dakota Vernelle worked outside the home to help support their growing family, except for a five-year “vacation” after their son Chuck was born, and when she became a Cub Scout leader, Girl Scout leader, piano teacher, and creator of wedding and novelty cakes as “Cakes by Vernelle.” She was a member and State President of ESA, a philanthropic organization, and a church organist, board member, and choir director.
In Des Moines Vernelle became “Sam,” and continued working in a variety of jobs, she drove a semi-truck over the road, sold insurance door to door, was office manager in a U.S. Senate political campaign, was a personnel “head hunter,” and of course filled in between with secretarial, administrative assistant, and office manager positions at a radio station headquarters, a bank corporation headquarters, an architectural firm, a homebuilder, a legal consulting firm, and retired as Administrative Office Manager at Kirkham Michael and Associates, a civil engineering firm. She was on the steering committee for the organization of, and the first president of the Cobblestone Homeowners Association in Urbandale, Iowa. She was president and long-time member of Metro Women's Network in Des Moines.
Sam supported her children’s sports — synchronized swimming and hockey — and coached soccer. She considered her greatest accomplishment to be “rolling backward into the deep end of a swimming pool, which ended her life-long fear of water. She went on to certify as an advanced open-water scuba diver. She and Clare went twice to the Bahamas to dive in the Devil’s Triangle, as well as to various lakes in the U.S. Sam later drew on her unusual experiences (such as “kissing” a barracuda) when she became a motivational speaker.
As their children began to leave home to create their own families, Sam finished her college work and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.
Sam and Clare took in two grandchildren in 1987. Felicia Kristi Shields was later adopted by Cynda and her husband Andy Clevenger. Sam and Clare adopted Ian Alexander Shields in 1991. This union was not successful, and he was placed in various institutions from his early teens till age18.
In order to give all the grandchildren the opportunity to play with and know each other, Sam and Clare created GAGGKK (Great Annual GramSam and Grumpa’s Krazy Kampout) taking them all, in the summers for seven days of camping — Colorado, Black Hills, Nebraska, Iowa, and Yellowstone. Actually, not ALL the grandchildren. They had to be potty trained or three years old, whichever was Later! There were only seven grandchildren at the first GAGGKK.
Sam’s and Clare’s lives together were not all smooth and trouble-free. Though they both carried many wonderful personal and family memories, Sam was plagued most of her life with a depression that was not diagnosed until late 1991. With counseling, and later, medication, Sam finally came out into the sunshine. She was able to make it with considerable difficulty through the rough times she and Clare had in dealing with Ian, with her mother’s sudden death, and with her dad’s long illness. In June 2000, they moved “home” to Spearfish, and soon built their “final” home on a small mountain. Finally in August the judge ordered termination of their rights and high financial responsibilities regarding Ian. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with stress-induced dementia, which was later well controlled with medication.
Sam loved her husband and children dearly. Each child was a “favorite” in some special way. She felt fortunate to have her five children and their families, and was proud of all their successes.
Sam had her own strong faith in God and a philosophy of honesty and fairness. Rights with responsibility. Equal opportunity for all people — black, white, yellow, red, male, female, gay, or straight. Sam was a feminist and activist.
Sam’s goal was to leave at least a little part of the world better than she found it.
She is preceded in death by her sister, Cheryl Ice; parents, Randall and Laure Ice and Chuck and Hazel Ice; grandparents, John and Pearl Leitner, Orley and Fay Loughlin, and Clyde Ice. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Clare Armstrong, Spearfish; children, Cynda (Alan) Wessel, Pine Haven WY, Scott (Melanie) Armstrong, Polo IL, Kristi (Lawrence Wattier) Armstrong, Belle Fourche SD, Keith (Debbie McCauley) , Chuck (Terrie) Armstrong; 16 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, January 10, 2013 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish. In lieu of flowers, memorial has been established to benefit Hospice of the Northern Hills.
Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish.
[Obituary and photo from Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Services, Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota]
__________
NOTE: After their parents, Jessie Randall Ice and LaRue Martha (Leitner) Ice, were killed in an airplane crash in 1947, Vernelle and her sister, Cheryl Lynn Ice, were adopted by their uncle and aunt, Charles and Hazel Ice.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
