James and Isabella Armstrong Family

ARMSTRONG, EARLS, MOON, WINTER, LUTZ, MILLER, ELLIOTT, VANDERPOOL, ZIMMERLINE, STUVA, WALGENBACH, MCMURHPY

Posted By: Peggy Elliott Webster (email)
Date: 1/30/2014 at 19:58:35

James Armstrong was born in 1829 in County Fermanagh near the town of Enneskillen, Ireland. Isabella Arles (Earls) was born in 1832 also near Enneskillen. James and Isabella were married in 1850 in Ireland and were parents to nine children Charles, James J., William, Eliza, Isabella, Robert, Thomas, Maud, and Adam. The oldest two sons immigrated to the U. S. in 1860, and other children came in subsequent years. James and Isabella brought the youngest children to American in 1880.

Sons Charles and James J. Armstrong settle in Adair Count in 1869. Charles was a deep-well digger and dug many area wells including Anita's deep well. Descendants of William's family will live in Adair and Cass counties. This includes six Armstrong girls who led Wiota's girls' basketball teams to the state tournaments in the 1940s. Eliza Jane's grandson, Charlie Emory, was a lifelong resident of Adair County. Robert and Thomas Armstrong's citizenship papers were filed at the Adair County Courthouse in 1888 and 1886, respectively. They were bachelors who lived north of Fontanelle much of their adult life.

Adam Armstrong, youngest son of James and Isabelle, married Abbie Adella Moon in 1898. They were parents to 12 children, all of whom were born and raised in Adair County, Belle, Beulah, Verna, Belva, Edwin, Edna, George, Velma, Kenneth, Alice, Irene and Myrtle. Belle, Belva and George all died in infancy. Beulah married Henry Winter and they had three children, George, Dorothy and Donald. Vernon married Edith M. Lutz and they had one daughter who died in infancy. Edwin married Amelia Ehrenfried and they had four children, twins Verle and Verlene, Virgil and Leo. Edna married Virnen R. Miller and they had three sons, Delmer, Ivan and Jimmie. Velma married Orla Elliott and they had one daughter, Deloris. Kenneth married Ethel L. Vanderpool and they had two children, Carol and Duane. Alice married Fred Zimmerline and they have five children, Loren, Leland, Sheilyn, Rex and Debra. Irene married Lester E. Stuva and they had two children, Gary and Marlene. Myrtle married Waldo Walgenbach and they had four children, Janet, Alvin, William, and Mary. Waldo was killed in the Battle of the Buldge in WWII. Myrtle then married Ralph McMurphy and they had one daughter, Marcia.

Submitted by Diane (Miller)Schwartz

Source: Adair County Iowa Sesquicentenial Edition 1851-2001, pg.191