Roy S. Armstrong Obituary

Description: Roy S. Armstrong Obituary... Our Heartfelt Condolences to His Loved Ones...

Roy S. Armstrong

November 6, 1952 — December 9, 2024

La Junta

Obituary

Roy Sherwin Armstrong, 72, passed away at home, December 9, 2024. Born, November 6, 1952, in La Junta, CO to Cecil and Mary Katherine Armstrong of Olney Springs, CO.

Roy attended elementary school in Olney Springs, and could tell you the name of every child in his first grade class and how he wore his favorite Roy Rogers t-shirt for class picture day. He was a good student and also good with animals and livestock. He began attending the Fowler Auction with his Dad when he was a little boy and started buying pigs at the sale and raising rabbits. No surprise, he could still tell you the names of the ranchers who used to sell at the Fowler Sale when he was a kid, and he was still doing business with their children or grandchildren all these years later. Roy graduated from Crowley County High School in 1972; still a good student and still good with livestock. Pigs and Rabbits became fattening cattle and dairying. He loved the dairy business and in his 20’s was a very successful dairyman in Olney Springs. He would proudly tell you about the Holstein Bull named King he bought in July of 1977, and his milk cows like Hawaii 5-0, Pickles, and Banana Horn. He began buying cattle to feed and finish and bought more and more cattle at the auctions in La Junta. Milking cows doesn’t lend itself that well to dating, but miracles happen, and he and Beverly Groves were married on Valentine’s Day, 1981. Roy milked cows that February 14th morning, and then naively assumed they could go out on Valentine’s night in Colorado Springs without dinner reservations.

In 1983 the family moved to La Junta, now with baby son Aaron, and daughter Amber on the way. Roy began a career in banking at the State Bank, and expanded his cattle feeding and cattle buying. He would go out to the sales in La Junta after work and buy cattle. He was a good banker and was proud to have banked all the people he did and help people get started in the cattle business. If you are in the cattle business in southeast Colorado you probably know many people that Roy banked or helped get started in the business, or can count yourself among them. In the 1990’s he paused his formal banking career as he and partners made major purchases; first the Arnold-Harriman Ranch in 1991, becoming Great Western Grazing Co., then in 1992 the feedlot at Rocky Ford, that is still today known as United Feeders. He bought and fed every class and type of cattle. He was one of the few feeders and stockmen that bought his own cattle at the sale and in the country, read the bunks or checked stock tanks and grass, sorted them when fat, and negotiated their sale. At the cattle auctions he might be heard to say; “if you buy them all you’ll be sure and get the ones you want”, and, “we may as well have fun here because we may not make any money doing it.” With his trusty calculator, sale cards, and lunch box by side, he would bid on and buy cattle at nearly every sale of the year. He favored local ranchers and farmers, and their cattle, and made many friends around the cattle auctions among the sellers, truckers, yard help, and even some of the swappers and traders. He loved business and investing, it was a game he was good at, and he loved helping young people succeed in business.

Roy enjoyed travelling and he and Beverly loved to take Cruises. Roy would always offer you advice on Cruises or even offer to take you along and show you the ropes. They sailed multiple Alaska Cruises, which he always loved, the Pacific Coast, Mexico, the Bahamas and Caribbean, and most recently the British Isles, which Roy especially enjoyed as it overlapped with his love of his Scottish family name and heritage, and of course seeing the Sheep and Highlanders of Scotland, and the Shorthorn Cattle of Wales.

On New Year’s Day 2024, Roy was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an incurable brain tumor. Yea though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he feared no evil, for his Shepard was with him. A surgery successfully removed the bulk of the tumor and his doctor told him he did better than 90% of patients ever get the chance to do. He sorted his heifers to go out to the ranch this Spring, bought cattle at the sales to feed, and enjoyed a July 4th week family vacation in Breckenridge, even riding the chair lift up the mountain and watching the grandkids ride burros and pan for gold. All miracles in themselves. He even thought about buying another ranch, if you can believe that, and if you knew him then of course you can. Every Tuesday and Wednesday auction day through the course of his cancer he would still tell Aaron, “just buy them all”. He took his new limitations as a chance to spend time sharing family history, and praying for others, many of you, and many of you prayed faithfully for him, and that was another miracle, especially all the children who prayed for him, he was beyond grateful.

A life well lived and a blessing to all who knew him. Survived by his wife Beverly; children, Aaron (Angela) Armstrong of La Junta, CO and Amber (Tom) Fowler of Aurora, CO; grandchildren, Emma, Grace, Norah and Holden; siblings, Robert (Rita) Armstrong of Ordway, CO, and Audrey (Bill) Varner of La Junta, CO. Also survived by numerous cousins and extended family, aunts, and nieces and nephews, whom he truly loved. Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Mary Katherine Armstrong.

A Funeral for Roy will be held Saturday, December 14th, 10 a.m., at Valley Community Church, Rocky Ford, CO, with B.J. Ballard of Solid Rock Baptist Church officiating. Interment to follow at Fairview Cemetery in La Junta. Visitation will be Friday, December 13th, 4-6 p.m., at Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home, La Junta, CO. Memorial contributions may be made to Arkansas Valley Hospice.

Online condolences may be made at www.PeacockFH.com. Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

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