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Lois Armstrong, 93

Lois Armstrong (Patterson), formerly of Hayden, Idaho, died in November in Santa Rosa, Calif. at the age of 93. Born in a small west-central Illinois farming community, she graduated high school as the class valedictorian.

Unable to find suitable employment at home, Lois went to Chicago and was accepted into the Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II. After two years of study, she was assigned to field training at the Indian Health Service hospital in Fort Defiance, Ariz. She embraced the experience, the land and the people that she served. Back in Chicago, she obtained her credentials as a registered nurse not long after the war.

She and Roger Armstrong, her high school sweetheart, married and moved to Denver, where Roger earned a degree in business administration and accounting. They eventually settled in Spokane, Wash. Lois worked at Sacred Heart Hospital for more than 40 years before she and Roger retired to Lake Coeur d’Alene, enjoying the log cabin they’d renovated and improved over the years. They later moved to Hayden, Idaho for easier access to medical facilities. Roger died in 2013.

Lois is survived by her brother, Bill (Barbara) Patterson; son, David (Karen) Armstrong; son, Steven Armstrong; daughter, Laurie (Bill) Mattinson; grandchildren, Joshua (Sara) Armstrong, Lora Armstrong, Nikki (Chris) Riley, Bill (Janet) Armstrong, Zephyr Mattinson and Neville (Monica) Mattinson as well as several great-grandchildren. They all loved her deeply.

The family wishes to thank Rose Terrace Cottages in Coeur d’Alene and Dina’s Place in Santa Rosa for the kindness and excellent care they gave Lois during the final years of her life.