FLORIAN JAMES ARMSTRONG

Florian James Armstrong, 94, of 835 Silver Springs Road, died Friday, Aug. 15, 1992 at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Armstrong, who moved to Cape Girardeau in 1925 from Marquand, was a former member of the Southeast Missouri District Fair board and instigated the purchase of the land for Arena Park.

He was born June 4, 1898 in Crystal City to James A. and Matilda Gasche Armstrong. He married the former Lula Jane Smith Jan. 11, 1921. She died Jan. 2, 1970.

Armstrong married the former Grace Henson Smith on Aug. 29, 1972. She survives at Patton.

Also surviving are a son, Carl Armstrong of Alvin, Texas, along with daughters Olive Keller of Cape Girardeau, Route 2; Bonnie Ludwig of Jackson; and Eileen Gannon of Stillwater, N.Y. Sixteen grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren also survive.

A son, three half-brothers, a half-sister, three step-brothers, and a step-sister preceded him in death.

Armstrong sold Farm Bureau insurance for 25 years and was a member of the Church of God at Fredericktown. Armstrong was also a dairy and grain farmer and started a milk route in 1923.

He was a member of the former Campster School Board and was instrumental in getting the school's building constructed.

Armstrong was also a former Campster 4-H leader and a member of IOOF Lodge No. 615. He served as noble grand in 1930 and was chief patriarch of encampment No. 103 at Sikeston in 1972.

Armstrong was the patriarch mitalant of the Captain Ben Wieldey Lodge No. 40 in Sikeston in 1974.

Armstrong owned 170 acres of ground west of Cape Girardeau, which he named Silver Springs Farm because of two flowing creeks there. Silver Springs Road is its namesake.

A funeral will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Joe Astolfi of Fredericktown will officiate.

Visitation will be held Monday at 5 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.