John M. Armstrong and Minnie M. Blair

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Husband John M. Armstrong ^{1 2}

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           Born: 26 Aug 1868 - Natrona, Allegheny Co, PA 1 3
     Christened: 
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         Father: Samuel Smith Armstrong (      -      ) 3 4 5
         Mother: Martha Jane Blackwood (Abt 1840-1906) 1 3

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       Marriage: 12 Jun 1895 - Allegheny Twp, Armstrong Co, PA 3

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Wife Minnie M. Blair ^{3 6}

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           Born: 
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           Died: 9 Oct 1927 3
         Buried: 

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         Father: Joseph Blair (      -      ) 3 6
         Mother: Margaret Taylor (      -      ) 3

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Children

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1 F Martha B. Armstrong ⁶

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           Born: 
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           Died: Bef 1914
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2 F Laroka Eleanor Armstrong ^{3 6}

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           Born: 22 Nov 1897 3
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3 F Elizabeth Viola Cline Armstrong ^{3 6}

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           Born: 19 Mar 1900 3
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4 M John Bruce Armstrong ^{3 6}

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           Born: 22 Oct 1903 3
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General Notes: Husband - John M. Armstrong

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He attended what was known as the old Irishtown school in Allegheny township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and was at home with his father until he reached the age of twenty-two years. He then traveled for two years as a salesman, after which he returned to the home farm and engaged in the dairy business. His next venture was at Leechburg, Pennsylvania, where he opened a milk depot and confectionery store, later adding groceries to the stock. He continued to carry on this business until 1900, when he entered into a partnership with his cousin, R. M. Armstrong, and embarked in the furniture business at Leechburg, their establishment being on Market street. Mr. Armstrong then took a course in embalming at a Pittsburgh college, graduating in April, 1900, thus preparing himself for the undertaking branch of the business of the firm. It was first known as J. M. & R. M. Armstrong, and three years after it was founded A. M. Armstrong, brother of R. M., was admitted, after which the style was the Armstrong Furniture Company. The firm had another store at Vandergrift, in Westmoreland County.
He was a member of both the State and National Funeral Directors' Associations, was very active in those bodies, and in 1910, at Altoona, Pennsylvania, was elected second vice president of the State organization; at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in June, 1913, he was elected State president.
He was an active member of the United Presbyterian Church, and had a young men's class in the Sunday school. He was a Republican in politics, but not active in party affairs. [HAC 1914, 601]

He spent his boyhood in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where he was educated in the little red schoolhouse near his home. At fourteen he began his active career and for some years was successively a farmer, traveling salesman and a merchant, dealing in groceries and milk. Eventually, he decided to become a funeral director and entered the Pittsburgh School of Embalming, from which he was graduated in March, 1900. Immediately afterward he established himself as a furniture dealer and funeral director in Leechburg and continued both enterprises until 1930, when he sold his furniture store. After that time he devoted himself entirely to the operation of the Armstrong Funeral Home, located at No. 169 Main Street, Leechburg, in which business his son, J. Bruce Armstrong, was later associated.
In addition to his own business, Mr. Armstrong was a stockholder in the First National Bank of Leechburg and for years was active in various community enterprises, including the Rotary Club, of which he at one time was president. For thirty-five years he served as president of the board of trustees of the First United Presbyterian Church of Leechburg. Mr. Armstrong was president of the Western Funeral Directors Association and the Pennsylvania State Funeral Directors Association. Although he never entered public life, he was known as a strong Republican in politics and was influential locally in his party.

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General Notes: Wife - Minnie M. Blair

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from McKeesport, Allegheny Co, PA

1 Editor, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 600.

2 Lewis Clark Walkinshaw, A.M, Annals of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Vol. IV (New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1939), Pg 566.

3 Lewis Clark Walkinshaw, A.M, Annals of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Vol. IV (New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1939), Pg 567.

4 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 526.

5 Editor, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 497, 600.

6 Editor, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 601.