Ruben ARMSTRONG b. 13 Jul 1895 Rogers, Benton, Arkansas, USA d. 24 Jun 1969 Henderson, Rusk, Texas, USA: An Armstrong & A Heffernan

1895 - 1969 (73 years)

Name	Ruben ARMSTRONG [1, 2]
Born	13 Jul 1895	Rogers, Benton, Arkansas, USA [3, 4, 5]
Gender	Male
Military	5 Jun 1917	Minden, Rusk, Texas, USA
	draft
	Ruben Armstrong, age 22, born 13 Jul 1895, in Rogers, AR, is a married farmer. He is of medium height with blue eyes and light brown hair.
		Armstrong, Ruben World War I Draft Registration
Census	8 Jan 1920	Laneville, Rusk, Texas, USA
ED 68, pg 12A
Precinct 5 Head Rubin Armstrong M 23 Arkansas Wife Neelie Armstrong F 22 Texas Son Robert Armstrong M 1 Texas
	1920 Federal Census, Texas, Rusk Pct 22, Laneville, ED 68, pg 12A
Census	16 Apr 1930	Laneville, Rusk, Texas, USA
ED 23, pg 9B
Precinct 5 Rubin Armstrong 35 Neelie Armstrong 34 Robert L Armstrong 12 Elzie D Armstrong 9 Nettie M Armstrong 8 Irene Armstrong 5 Perkins Armstrong 2 7/12 George E Armstrong 8/12 [next door to Lawrence]
	1930 Federal Census, Texas, Rusk Pct 5, ED 23, pg 9B
Census	19 Apr 1940	, Rusk, Texas, USA
ED 201-23, pg 5B
Old Laneville Road Reuben Armstrong Head M 45 Texas Neeley Armstrong Wife F 44 Texas Robert Armstrong Son M 21 Texas Elzie Armstrong Son M 19 Texas Nettie May Armstrong Dau F 17 Texas Irene Armstrong Dau F 13 Texas Harold Armstrong Son M 12 Texas George A Armstrong Son M 10 Texas Pete Armstrong Son M 5 Texas Raymond George Nephew M 17 Texas
Military	1942	Mount Enterprise, Rusk, Texas, USA
	Draft Registration only.
		Armstrong, Ruben World War II Draft Registration
Residence	Jun 1969	Henderson, Rusk, Texas, USA
	1111 W Main St
Died	24 Jun 1969	Henderson, Rusk, Texas, USA [6]
	Cause: Acute myocardial infarction
	Ruben went to pay a man some money he owned. Upon reaching the second floor apartment, he asked the man's wife if he could sit down for a minute. The woman was concerned and called down to Irene who had driven him. They got Ruben to the car and Irene took him to the hospital where he died.
		Armstrong, Ruben Death Certificate
Obituary	25 Jun 1969	Henderson, Rusk, Texas, USA
Henderson Daily News
RUBEN ARMSTRONG Funeral Services for Ruben Armstrong, 73, of 1111 West Main Street will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jim Adams officiating. Interment will be in Maple Grove Cemetery. Armstrong died at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday at Henderson Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. A native of Arkansas, he had lived in Rusk County for the past 55 years. A member of the Baptist Church, he was a retired farmer. Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Neeley Armstrong of Henderson; five sons, Robert L. and Elzie D. Armstrong, both of Henderson, Harold P., George A., and Pete Armstrong, all of Houston; two daughters, Mrs. Nettie Mae Green of Houston and Mrs. Irene Armstrong of Henderson; four brothers, Lawrence Armstrong of Laneville, Johnny Armstrong of Wright City, Buddy Armstrong of Henderson and Oscar Cook of Dallas; three sisters, Mrs. Minnie Davis and Mrs. Bird Watkins, both of Dallas, and Mrs. Margie Rexrode of Laneville; 26 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Nephews will serve as pallbearers.
Buried	26 Jun 1969	Minden, Rusk, Texas, USA [6]
	Address: Maple Grove Cemetery Rusk County Rusk County, Texas
	Ruben told his family he wanted to be buried at Maple Grove because of the nearby pond where he could go fishing.
		Armstrong, Ruben and Neeley Mills
Person ID	I24	An Armstrong & A Heffernan
Last Modified	22 Jul 2022

Father	Benjamin Franklin ARMSTRONG, b. 7 Apr 1857, Rogers, Benton, Arkansas, USA , d. 20 Aug 1941, Laneville, Rusk, Texas, USA (Age 84 years)
Mother	Effie May DISNEY, b. 22 May 1874, Longton, Elk, Kansas, USA , d. 6 Jul 1918, Troup, Smith, Texas, USA (Age 44 years)
Married	22 May 1892	, Benton, Arkansas, USA [7, 8]
Married		Armstrong, Benjamin Franklin to Effie Disney marriage license
Photos		Armstrong, Frank and Effie and their Family Standing in back (L-R) Ruben, Oscar Cook, John Davis, Minnie holding her baby, Bell Front (L-R) Laura, Margie, Frank, Effie holding Bird, Rachel, Lawrence
Family ID	F24	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Neeley Neana MILLS, b. 30 Aug 1896, Linn Flat, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA , d. 17 Jun 1983, Henderson, Rusk, Texas, USA (Age 86 years)

Married 2 Jun 1916 , Rusk, Texas, USA [9, 10]

Gregg Co, Texas Marriage Book, book N page 379. (Two marriage licenses?) Grandma and Grandpa were separated even when I was a child in the late 50s, each one living with a different child.

Armstrong, Ruben and Neeley Mills
wedding day!

Children

	1. Robert Lee ARMSTRONG, b. 28 Nov 1918, Minden, Rusk, Texas, USA , d. 25 Nov 2002, Henderson, Rusk, Texas, USA (Age 83 years)
	2. Elzie Doyle ARMSTRONG, b. 14 Dec 1920, Wells, Cherokee, Texas, USA , d. 7 Mar 1994, Longview, Gregg, Texas, USA (Age 73 years)
	3. Nettie Mae ARMSTRONG, b. 16 Mar 1923, Lancaster, Dallas, Texas, USA , d. 20 Jun 1985, Henderson, Rusk, Texas, USA (Age 62 years)
	4. Irene ARMSTRONG, b. 11 Jan 1926, Minden, Rusk, Texas, USA , d. 29 Aug 1996, , Smith, Texas, USA (Age 70 years)
	5. Harold Perkin ARMSTRONG, b. 19 Nov 1927, Bethel, Rusk, Texas, USA , d. 31 Dec 2001, , , Texas, USA (Age 74 years)
	6. George A ARMSTRONG, b. 14 Jul 1929, , Rusk, Texas, USA , d. 10 Jul 2016, Tyler, Smith, Texas, USA (Age 86 years)
	7. Ira Franklin ARMSTRONG, b. 22 Feb 1935, Minden, Rusk, Texas, USA , d. 23 Nov 1997, Pasadena, Harris, Texas, USA (Age 62 years)

Photos

Armstrong, Ruben and Neeley's family
Standing: Pete, George, Perkin, Irene, Nettie Mae, Elzie, Robert. Sitting: Neeley, Ruben.

I remember this photo being made at Robert's house but I'm unsure of the exact year, maybe 1965ish.

Armstrong, Ruben and Neeley's family
Irene, George (back), Ruben, Nettie, Neeley, Elzie, Robert, Perkin. this would have been in the early 60s.

Last Modified 2 Dec 2015

Family ID F7 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Photos » Slide Show		Armstrong, Frank and Effie and their Family Standing in back (L-R) Ruben, Oscar Cook, John Davis, Minnie holding her baby, Bell Front (L-R) Laura, Margie, Frank, Effie holding Bird, Rachel, Lawrence
		Armstrong, Ruben That's Robert holding a kid behind him and possibly Tooter behind Robert.
		Armstrong Family bottom - Ruben, Lawrence (the others are Oscar, Johnnie and Buddy - I think) top - Margie, Laura, Minnie, Bird
		Armstrong, Frank and family Standing are Oscar, Johnnie, Lawrence and Ruben. Frank is seated but I don't know the woman and children.
		Ruben Armstrong
		Armstrong, Ruben abt 1968

Notes

Reuben was a farmer (sharecropper) most of his adult life. Dad (George) says they moved around a lot, probably after 1940. From looking at census records, I believe they lived in the same place at least until the 1940 Census. I know Pete was born in a house near Uncle Lawrence's old place so this theory makes sense. At some point after the census, they moved to the Minden area where DeSanto Winfrey lived and Perkin and George became life-long friends with their honorary cousins.

In a letter from Ruben to Robert L. and Raymond George dated 8/3/41.
Ruben lives in Mt. Enterprise Robert & Raymond are in Colorado in a CC Camp.
He stayed all day with Uncle Lawrence (Armstrong) and Grandpa (Benjamin Armstrong). Grandpa is poorly. Got a letter from Tooter (Elzie D.) yesterday, he is out of hospital after 2-3 weeks. He has been in hospital before. Ruben got him a bunch of banties. He has been "disabled" for 9 weeks and can't do anything which doesn't set well with him.

Another letter dated 8/19/41
He got the pictures from them. Regrette? sold the Minden sawmill to the Threshs, Ruben will start nightwatching there Thursday. They moved the mill up the hill, but left the planer in its original location.
An added note dated 8/20/41 says he just heard that Grandpa died and will be buried tomorrow.

In his later years, Ruben was "blown up" when he turned on a stove and went to sleep on his couch. We are unsure if the fire went out or never came on but it eventually exploded, throwing a slighty singed Ruben, still on the couch, out into the yard.

Sources

[S131] Armstrong, George A, Armstrong, Ruben.
[S837] 1900 Benton, AR, ED 10, pg 15B.
Reuben Armstrong
[S528] SSDI, (FamilySearch.org), Armstrong, Ruben.
[S837] 1900 Benton, AR, ED 10, pg 15B.
age 4, Jul 1895, Arkansas
[S705] Draft Registration I, (FamilySearch.org), Armstrong, Ruben.
13 Jul 1895, Rogers, Arkansas
[S275] Death Certificate, Armstrong, Ruben #44486.
[S837] 1900 Benton, AR, ED 10, pg 15B.
married 8 years
[S144] Benton Co, Arkansas Marriage Book, pg 495.
Benjamin F Armstrong to Effie May Disney, 22 May 1892, by A A Puckett
[S217] Cemetery, Maple Grove, Rusk, TX, Ruben Armstrong.
2 June 1916
[S1249] Texas Marriages, 1837-1973, (FamilySearch.org), Armstrong, Rueben.
to Neeley Mills, 2 Jun 1916, Rusk County, Texas