Date of Birth: September 30, 1930
Date of Death: June 18, 2026
Emily Armstrong died on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Moosomin Southeast Integrated Care Centre. She was 95 years old.
Emily Winnifred Jean was born on Sept. 30, 1930, at the home farm near Cromer, MB, daughter of James and
Florence Thomson. She took her schooling at Hargrave and Virden, MB.
Jean married D. Glen Armstrong of Elkhorn, MB, July 4, 1949. They farmed in the Parkland district at first, and then they moved many times. They moved so many times that every time they saw Grandpa George Armstrong, he asked, “So where are you moving to this weekend?” Their moves took them to Virden, Brandon, back to Virden, Indian Head, Whitewood and Esterhazy. When Jean retired, she moved back to Whitewood, house and all. She was one of the first to move into Crossroads Villa in Whitewood.
Jean was an active member of the Presbyterian church in Virden, Indian Head and Whitewood. She tried curling when they lived in Indian Head, but the skip yelled at her, and she didn’t go back. Jean and Glen took up square dancing, and they did love to dance. They belonged to square dance clubs in both Indian Head and Whitewood. Jean was an avid knitter; she made sweaters and afghans for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved to read and was known as our jigsaw puzzle queen.
Jean was predeceased by her parents, James Thomson, Florence Sararas and stepfather Wendel Sararas; husband Glen Armstrong; brothers Allan Thomson and wife Kathleen, and Robert Thomson; nephew Perry and Susan Thomson; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Harold and Betty Armstrong, Allan and Nancy Armstrong, Elmer and Leona Armstrong, Frank
Armstrong, Audrey McNeil, Jim and Dorothy Nichol, and Collin Clarke. She is survived by four children, Doug and Sharon
Armstrong and their two children, Marcy and Donald Helmeczi, family Brooke and Caleb Bedford and sons Walker and Briggs, Rebecca Helmeczi (Corey Cowan), Callie Helmeczi (Griffin Smeltzer), and Andrea and Ken Hayhurst, family Cole Hayhurst (Tomi Howard), Allison Hayhurst, Megan Hayhurst; Darrell and Sharon Armstrong, and their two children, Chris Armstrong (Andrea Little), family Carson Armstrong, Cooper Armstrong, and Darnell and John Waite, family Rian Waite, Cohen Waite; Donna and Ernie Lefebvre and two children, Candace and Jay Varjassy, family Nathan Varjassy (Avery Hewitt), Owen
Varjassy, and Cameron and Tracy Page, family Carter Page (Brielle Johnson), Kaleb Page, Kelbree Page; Dean and Paula Armstrong and their two children, Evan Armstrong (Emily Zerr) and Erin Armstrong (James Miller); sisters-in-law Shirley Thomson, Jean Horn, Evelyn Clarke and Donna Armstrong; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A life well lived!
A funeral service was held for Jean on Tuesday, June 30, 2026,with Heather McEwen officiating. The musician was Lawrence Berthelet, and grandchildren did the readings. Family remembrances were offered by Marcy Helmeczi, Candace Varjassy, Chris Armstrong and Erin Armstrong. Jean’s grandchildren acted as pallbearers, with interment taking place in the Whitewood Cemetery.
Arrangements were entrusted to Matthews Funeral Home, Whitewood and Melville.
