Annabelle McGuire Armstrong of Baton Rouge, journalist and author, went home to be with God on October 15, 2021. She was born Annabelle Lee McGuire on November 28, 1929, in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Ura Garrett and Edward McGuire. She was 91.
Annabelle was reared in Greenville, Mississippi, a town renowned for its Southern writers. An avid reader as a child, she began writing early in life and edited school newspapers in junior high and high school. At age 16, she went to work for Pulitzer Prize-winning newsman Hodding Carter, Jr. at the Delta Democrat-Times in her hometown, working summers until age 21, setting her on a course for the remainder of her long and productive life.
Annabelle graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1951 where she was editor of the school newspaper The Lion’s Roar, SLU Co-Ed Vice-President, President of Kappa Rho Sorority (now an Alpha Omicron Pi affiliate), and the Rotary Club Outstanding Graduate of 1951. She was hired as a cub reporter by Capital City Press to write for the State-Times in November of that year. She married Ken L. Armstrong, State-Times photographer, on October 5, 1953. The couple had two children, Delma and Ken. For several years, she worked from home editing two ‘Teen Age Party Line’ pages a week and regularly contributing articles to Seventeen magazine. She was also published in the periodicals Flying, American Youth, and Louisiana Forestry. Annabelle worked as an event publicist for nine years part-time at the LSU Union.
In 1975, Annabelle returned to the Morning Advocate ‘People’ department, writing stories of the human spirit. Annabelle believed that everyone has a story, and that most are worthy of retelling. Numerous awards in journalism included a tri-state (Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas) Outstanding Achievement Award in women’s news from United Press International and many from Louisiana Press Women and the Louisiana Press Association, which honored her in 2001 for 50 years in journalism. She is a former president of Theta Sigma Phi (women’s journalism organization), a former member of the Press Club of Baton Rouge, LSU Readers and Writers, SLU Alumni Association and Cajun Clickers.
After her early retirement in 1986, she worked as a free-lance journalist for La Vie Magazine, Plaquemine Post South, and the South Baton Rouge Journal. She authored the book Historic Neighborhoods of Baton Rouge in 2010, drawing from her years of research into and writings about South Baton Rouge neighborhoods.
Annabelle was an active alumna of SLU. She received a Distinguished Service Award in 2002, having served as President of the Red Stick Chapter 2001-2002. She was elected into Phi Kappa Phi honor society in 1961.
A lifelong Presbyterian, she was an active member of Broadmoor Presbyterian Church where she helped coordinate the Chronologically Gifted and Talented group and belonged to church circle 3. She was a former member of First Presbyterian Church, having served as President of the Ed Grant Class and co-moderator of Circle 13, which she founded.
Annabelle was preceded in death by her husband, Ken. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Ken and Jill Armstrong of Baton Rouge, LA; daughter Delma Armstrong and spouse Betty Prioux of Chapel Hill, NC; sister Pat Gower of Marshall, NC; grandchildren Ashley and husband Andrew Coleman, Molly Armstrong, and Rachel Armstrong, all of Baton Rouge, LA, and Kevin Owen and wife Kayla Davis-Owen of Hillsborough, NC; two great-grandchildren, Aidan and Grayson Owen of Hillsborough, NC, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements by Rabenhorst Funeral Home with visitation from 5pm-8pm on Wednesday October 20, 2021. Service to be held Thursday October 21, 2021 at Broadmoor Presbyterian Church with short visitation at 12 noon, service at 1 pm and reception to follow. Officiant for the service is Rev. Chandler Willis of Lake Charles. Pallbearers are: Mike Avant, Andrew Coleman, Jay Dardenne, Tom Dunn, Dave Snyder and Mike Zobrist. Private burial in Roselawn cemetery to follow service and reception.
