Bob, I am sincerely sorry to hear of your illness. But knowing that you're an Armstrong, they can't keep a good man down. I have read your stories over the years and don't think that I ever responded back to you. However, if memory serves me right (and if it doesn't, I may have the disease too!) your wedding anniversary matches that of my parents: February 4, 1954. My dad was stationed in Duluth, Minnesota at the Air Force Base during the Korean War. I honestly believe that may have been the night of my conception. I was born October 21, 1954. Anyway, sadly my dad passed away nearly 9 years ago on July 12, 1999. My mom still lives and still misses him. Thanks always for sharing. Ben Barr, in hot, humid and muggy north-central Maine. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Armstrong" <robertarm9@yahoo.com> To: <armstrong@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 2:42 PM Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG] A new me? > Dear Robyn, > Thank you so much for your kind words. Nita and I are now living with my > eldest son and his family. Charles has a very big house, and we have lots > of room. I get to talk to the kids every day, and I am teaching them about > investing. They get a share of Western Union stock, for every "A" they get > on their report cards. They are so smart that they will probably send me > to the poor house. I also play chess with my Grandson. He is a pretty good > player. Hopefully I will hang on long enought to see him skunk > me. > Very sincerely, > Bob Armstrong > in Houston, TX > > > > --- On Mon, 6/9/08, Robyn Leeds <robyn@robsfamily.com> wrote: > > From: Robyn Leeds <robyn@robsfamily.com> > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG] A new me? > To: armstrong@rootsweb.com > Date: Monday, June 9, 2008, 5:51 PM > > " want to be important in the lives of my grandchildren." > > Hi Bob :) > > Do you not realise that you've not only been important in the lives of > your > children, and your grandchildren, but to all of us here? Many a day I've > been cheered up immensely by one of your posts, and on some days you've > turned my day around for the better, and I'll always be eternally grateful > to you for those days!! :D > > Alzheimer's is a nasty disease, and I've seen far too much of it in my > own lifetime. My biological Grandfather had it, but was never diagnosed > as > such because it wasn't called Alzheimer's back in those days. It was > just called "senility" and he was locked away in a mental > institution. I never met him, but from reading his medical records (which > the > Health Department in Tasmania, Australia very kindly sent to me) I came to > know > and love him as if he'd been in my life, whereas he died before I was > born. > My biological father died of an aneurism in his stomach, despite the fact > that > he had angina and emphasema (sp?), and he also had early stage > Alzheimer's. > My adopted mother (Reita May Eastley, sister of my bio father, and wife of > Norman John Bynon who is my Armstrong connection) was also diagnosed with > Alzheimer's at the "ripe old age" of about 53. She'd had > varicose veins removed and had a nasty reaction to the anaesthetic they > gave > her, and the doctors believed that was! > what triggered her off at such a young age. I watched her go downhill > slowly, caring for her as much as possible despite the fact that I was > pregnant > with my 18yo daughter Jade, while Dad continued to work. It was > heartbreaking > to watch her deteriorate, but if I had to do it again, I would!!! She > held > Jade in her arms a week after she was born and she didn't even know she > was > holding a baby, much less her Granddaughter. I think that was what hit me > the > hardest!!! :( > > Despite the sadness of watching family suffer through Alzheimer's, and > knowing that I too probably have Alzheimer's genes, I still have one happy > memory of Mum the night before she died. I'd gone to Greenvale Nursing > Home to visit her while she was very ill with pneumonia. She'd not shown > any sign of recognition when she'd seen me for some time. That last night > I bent down to kiss her goodbye after our visit and I whispered into her > ear > "Mum, I'm pregnant with your first Grandson!". I didn't know > Casey was a boy, it was mother's intuition I guess! ;D Mum looked at me, > actually LOOKED at me, for the first time in well over a year. That > memory > still warms my heart to this day, knowing that when Mum died about 10 > hours > later, she knew I was going to give birth to her first Grandson!! :D > > Chin up Bob, they're making huge breakthroughs with a lot of diseases and > illnesses these days, and I for one have made a few donations to the > Alzheimer's Association in the hope they'll come up with a cure, or a > way of stopping its progression, before I myself start to show signs. > Hopefully it'll be in time for both of us! :D > > Take care, > > Robyn. > IBSSG > Stockbridge, Georgia, USA > Honey's Home of Genealogy > www.robsfamily.com > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ARMSTRONG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ARMSTRONG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >