Gladys Loretta Armstrong "Lolly" 1932 - 2010 Gladys Loretta "Lolly" Armstrong was born outside of Cresco, IA, on April 14, 1932, to John and Laura Joerger. She was the second youngest of sixteen siblings. She graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in Charles City, IA, in 1950 and went on to Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, IA, to study nursing. Her nursing studies went on hold when she married Thorald David Gillpatrick in February 1952. They had two children, Thomas and Laura, before Thorald passed away in November 1960. In the summer of 1963, Lolly moved to Bakersfield to be near to family living there. In Bakersfield, she was devoted to her family and active in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. She returned to her studying of nursing and graduated from Bakersfield College with an R.N. degree. After school she worked at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield. She loved her work at Mercy and the many friends she had there. Lolly was most at home with family. She loved entertaining at Bar-B-Q's with her large extended family. She loved music, laughter, and watching her many nieces and nephews grow up. She always had a smile and a true joy for life. She was devoted to her children and was always there for a friend in need. In 1980 she married Frank Armstrong, M.D., and they lived happily in northwest Bakersfield. They loved to entertain, travel, and both shared a love of books. In retirement, Lolly loved to visit students in her daughter Laura's kindergarten class. Lolly and Frank had an active life, until Alzheimer's slowly stole Lolly away from all who loved her. She had been living at the Glenwood Manor nursing facility for the past three years. Frank passed away in June 2009. Lolly is survived by brothers, Willy Joerger of Bakersfield, Don Joerger of Florida, and sister, Rita Kobliska of Arroyo Grande, CA; her children, Tom Gillpatrick of Portland, OR, and Laura Jeffers of Caliente, CA; stepchildren, Paul Armstrong of Burlington, IA, Ian Armstrong, M.D., of Westlake Village, CA, Karen Ellen Armstrong of New York City, Colin Armstrong, Ph.D., of Nashville, TN, and Shawn Armstrong of Bakersfield; granddaughter, Emile Hartman of New York City; and great-grandson, Charles Hartman of New York City. Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2010, from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Greenlawn Memorial Chapel, 3700 River Blvd. Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, December 17, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Dominic's Chapel at Garces Memorial High School, 2800 Loma Linda Drive. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County. Greenlawn Mortuary www.bakersfield.com/obits
Published in Bakersfield Californian on December 16, 2010