Alden Ellsworth Armstrong

Alden Ellsworth Armstrong, 87, of Great Falls, Montana passed away peacefully on October 27, 2023, at Peace Hospice.  Alden was born on January 22, 1936, in East Helena on the family dairy ranch to Roy William Joseph and Vara Lytle Armstrong.  He often stated he was born during an earthquake which in his words “shook him out on his head”.

Alden was the middle child of nine children.  He attended grade school in East Helena, MT and High School in Spokane, WA.  He lived and worked on the family dairy farm as a child.   He later served in the Air National Guard in Washington and California.  He met his wife, Vivian Armstrong, who also worked at the Guard, and they were later married in California.  Shortly thereafter, they moved to Great Falls and started a family.  Alden worked various jobs throughout his lifetime.  After leaving the Guard he worked in a hotel as a bellhop where he met several famous people and was quite proud of the autograph he got from Liberace.  He was a salesman, he had his own business, Armstrong Masonry, was a campground host at Salmon Lake, a janitor at the Ulm Schools and most recently (and his favorite job) was with Waste Management as a Refuse Site Manager in Ulm, MT.  He took great pride in that job.  Constantly cleaning it up, adamant that he put up the American flag each day, greeting numerous customers who later became friends.  The best part was bringing carrots to the rabbits.

He was a tough one to keep down.  He was always on the go.  If he wasn’t having a garage sale, he was going to one.  After he stopped driving, he would have one of his kids take him shopping.  He didn’t need anything but just wanted to go.  To make it look legitimate he would buy a dozen doughnuts every time.  When you took him and his dozen doughnuts home you would always find a couple dozen in the freezer and at least a dozen on the table.  He refused to move his mailing address from Ulm to Great Falls after he stopped working in Ulm, simply because he wanted someone to take him for a ride.  He loved doing yardwork and was trimming his trees and mowing his own lawn up until his death.  He loved fishing with his son and grandson in Alaska and going to his daughter’s cabin in Seeley Lake.  His most recent favorite activity was being with his two great grandkids.  Less than a week before his death he was able to spend time with them in Missoula as well as taking one last trip to the cabin.

He is survived by his three children, Wendi (Ken) Baune, Lori Armstrong and Rick Armstrong; ex-wife, Vivian Armstrong; four grandchildren, Chase (Kelsy) Baune, Austin (Michelle) Baune, Ben Armstrong and Davi Munroe; two great grandchildren, Mira and Parker Baune; older sister, Audrey Armstrong Witthuhn of Covington, Washington; and younger brother Bruce Armstrong of Spokane, Washington.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy William Joseph and Vara Armstrong; siblings, Royce, Dale, Ronald, Arva, Glen and Gordon.

Services will be held at Schnider Funeral Home on Friday, November 3, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. with reception to following the service.