Roger Dale Armstrong passed away September 22, 2015 after complications from a stroke with his daughter by his side. He is preceded in death by his parents Joe and Jane Armstrong and his sister Janet Armstrong. He is survived by his brothers Dan and Allen, his ex-wife Joni, children Ray and Jessica Lasa, Tamra Chikami and Christian Armstrong and his grandchildren Dominic, Anthony, Maryanna and Skylee.
Roger was born July 2, 1952 in Marysville, California to parents Joe and Jane Armstrong. Growing up in the Marysville suburb of Linda, he attended Linda Elementary school and Alicia Middle School. He was a member of the Linda Cub Scouts and played Little League Baseball for three years. He and his older brother, Danny, spent their childhoods playing cowboys and Indians, swinging out of their tree house like Tarzan, and swimming in the river bottoms.
In 1957, his father’s business, Armstrong Brothers Well Drilling, was hired to drill the irrigation wells for Safflower Oil Company in Kings River, Nevada. In 1965 the family moved to Winnemucca, Nevada where Roger would live for the next 38 years. He played football for Lowry High School and was student manager for baseball and basketball. Roger worked summers in the drilling business until graduation when he began working full time. He could do it all, so, after the business finished drilling the city wells for a new town to be called “Spring Creek”, Trico International hired him as a foreman at the age of 19 to install the water system.
The draft for the Vietnam War called soon after that. Roger, the uncompromising rebel, decided he would convince the Army that he wasn’t a good fit. They apparently agreed. Roger returned to the drilling business, married Joni Chikami, and together they had their daughter Jessica. Roger was a hard worker but he also liked to play hard. He enjoyed years of stock car racing with his father and brother Allen and boating and snowmobiling with his friends. After the family well drilling business closed he worked on numerous construction jobs and enjoyed working on engines, building rockets and spending time with his sister Janet.
In 2003, Roger decided to move to Kalispell, Montana to be close to his grandchildren. They had many good times at Lolo Hot Springs where Roger and Joni worked for five years. He enjoyed camping, hiking and swimming with the kids and attended many little league games and school programs. He was an avid reader and read hundreds of books. Roger had many friends over the years, human and canine, and he loved them all with all his heart. He was definitely one of a kind and will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him. Memorial services are pending.
