Garland Armstrong, 82, of Big Spring, died on Monday, May 31, 2004, in a local hospital. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, June 4, 2004 at the Nalley-Pickle & Welch Rosewood Chapel with George Cowart, officiating. Interment will follow at Fluvanna Cemetery, Fluvanna, Texas. A memorial service will be held in Burlington, Wisconsin at a later date.The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Thursday at the funeral home.He was born on April 22, 1922, in Big Lake, Texas to Lily Mae (Robertson) and Garland Armstrong. He married Elaine Cox and they divorced in 1962. He married Francis Marie Jordan Hamilton and she preceded him in death on May 23, 1988. He then married Jane Raettig on November 22, 1991 in Big Spring.Mr. Armstrong attended school in Hylton and Blackwell. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and served as a pilot in Guam, the Phillipines, and Japan during World War II and was discharged in 1961 as a Captain. He had his private pilot's license, with a commercial rating, single & multi-engine rating, and a flight instructor rating.He worked in oilfield related jobs until his retirement in 1984. He was president of Armstong's Oilfield Service Co. Inc. and held a patent for his invention, The Armstrong Wireline Fishing Tool, which was used in oilfield fishing.Garland was a Mason, a member of the American Legion, VFW, National Rifle Association, Experimental Aircraft Association and a charter member of Hanger 25.Survivors include his wife, Jane Armstrong of Big Spring; three daughters, Barbara Armstrong of Indianapolis, Indiana, Sharon Armstrong of Ovieda, Florida and Garlanda Pearson and husband, Billy of Big Spring; one step son, Gary Hamilton and wife, Gayle of West Monroe, Louisiana; a half brother, Jimmy Payne of Dumas; two half sisters, Artie McMinn of Lubbock and Mary Nixon of Carlsbad, New Mexico; three step sisters, Bonnie Buell of Ft Worth, Polly Ussery of Lubbock and Jane Sroufe of Houston; a step brother, ALB Payne of Arlington; a brother-in-law, Dr. James Raettig of Burr Ridge, Illinois; a sister-in-law, Judith Betts and husband, James of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; three special cousins, Ruth Hedrick, Wanda Bee and Billie Lynch and husband, George; two special ex-brothers-in-law, Robert Jordan and Virgil Stovall; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.Pallbearers will be George Cowart, Rocky Lynch, Cabell Mackie, Toby Keel, Albert "Bud" Gores and Michael Lange. Honorary pallbearers will be Ben Bancroft and Clyde Wagner.The family suggests memorials to: St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or the Big Spring Humane Society, P. O. Box 823, Big Spring, TX 79721-0823.Arrangements under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Big Spring. Online condolences can be made at: www.npwelch.com,
