Mary Elizabeth Armstrong

Mary was born on March 15, 1920 in Caldwell, Idaho, the sixth of Louis and Rosa Tarp's eight children. In the early 1940s, she moved to Portland, Oregon, where she met Alfred Armstrong. They married on September 21, 1942, shortly before Al joined the Army. Mary worked a variety of service and factory jobs and eventually attended beauty school in Portland while Al was away at training and deployment. After he returned from the war, they lived in Portland and eventually settled in Milwaukie in the late 1960s. They were married for 73 years before Al's death in October, 2014.

Mary and Al were blessed with three children: Robert, Ronald, and Cheryl, the latter two of whom preceded them in death. She is survived by their son, Robert (Margie); grandchildren Emily Ashby (Jason), Paul (Valerie), David (Shawnery), and Aaron (Kara); great-grandchildren Megan Ashby, Colin Ashby, Clare Ashby, Olivia Armstrong, Lucy Armstrong, Cameron Armstrong, Noah Armstrong, Rian Armstrong, and another great-granddaughter on the way.

Mary will be buried next to her husband at Willamette National Cemetery. She will be remembered for her strong spirit and her love for her family.