4/13/2024 0 Comments Holland sentinel online obituariesOn one trip back to Benin City from a US. While in Benin City, Lois acted as George’s personal secretary in drafting and typing his myriad of official USAID reports, as well as organizing and hosting the numerous dinner and cocktail parties while showing off her cooking skills for Embassy staff, government ministries personnel, and members of the myriad Expatriate communities of Benin City, with the parties sometimes consisting of up to more than 100 people from more than two dozen countries around the world. Lois, George and the boys lived in Nigeria over most of the next six years. In 1966, Lois, George and their now four sons, departed to Benin City, Nigeria to continue pursuing George’s career as a Tropical Horticulturist with USAID. Lois, George and Bruce returned to the US in 1956 to run and work on the 412-acre family farm that George had bought in 1950 in Lockport. Lois took on George’s farming roots as well and started the first of her many menageries, raising dogs, chickens, ducks and various jungle deer and antelopes while living in Liberia. It was during this time that Lois “invented” her alternative take on traditional white potato salad for George, which the Armstrong family subsequently called “Mom’s secret-ingredient potato salad”, and it was such a hit, that it became a staple at all her parties and family reunions for the next 70 years. Lois was an amazing cook and honed her culinary skills while cooking for the various parties she hosted. In Liberia, Lois started what would become a lifelong occupation and passion of hers in support of George’s career – organizing and hosting dinner and cocktail parties for various Embassy staff, Expatriate community members, and local government ministries personnel. Lois and George’s first son, Bruce, was born Christmas Day 1954 in Liberia. Lois and George lived and worked in Liberia for the next three years, with Lois working at the Pan American Flying Clippers Seaplane base at “Fisherman’s Lake” in Liberia, while George grew rubber for Firestone. They honeymooned at the George V Hotel in Paris, France, and in Lisbon, Portugal, prior to their arrival in Liberia. George was originally from Turtle Creek, and they married in December 1953.Īfter their wedding, Lois and George Mom – departed for Harbel, Liberia, as George had been working at the Firestone Rubber Plantation in Liberia for 10 years at that point as a Tropical Horticulture expert in Rubber, Oil Palm, Cacao, etc. Armstrong, who was to become her future husband. It was in 1953 that Lois met Helen’s older brother George H. Lois also met a lady named Helen Armstrong. While at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Lois met and worked with such luminaries as Bill Putch and his wife Jean Stapleton (who played Edith Bunker in the hit television series Archie Bunker), Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Jones, and Gene Kelly. Lois took acting classes at the Pittsburgh playhouse as well as working full-time at the Union Railroad as a shipping clerk. Lois was a 1950 graduate of East Pittsburgh High School, and after graduation, attended the Pittsburgh Playhouse to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Lois was the 10 of 11 siblings and her father John was a plumber working for Westinghouse Air Brake in Pittsburgh, and her mother Edna was a homemaker. John Hite was originally from Belsano, and Edna (nÈe James) was originally from Ebensburg. Lois was born in East Pittsburgh, in June of 1932, the daughter of John and Edna Hite. 24 2024, in her home in Lewistown, surrounded by her sons. Lois Irene Armstrong (nèe Hite) passed on Saturday, Feb.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |