June 24, 1938 ~ January 6, 2026 (age 87)
Earnest L. (Ernie) Armstrong of Auburn, Alabama entered his heavenly home on January 6, 2026, at the age of 87 after a brief illness. Ernie was born on June 24, 1938 near Jones, LA to Charley and Louise Armstrong. He was the younger brother to an adoring sister, Mary Jo.
Ernie spent most of his youth in Tensas Parish in northeast Louisiana, attending Joseph Moore Davidson High School in St. Joseph, LA where he played football and basketball before graduating in 1956. In 1961, he received a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA.
Ernie proudly served his country in the United States Army where he was stationed at Fort Belvoir in northern Virginia. While there, he met a young teacher named Jan Mitchell. The two were married on July 6, 1963 and spent the next 62 as each other’s best friends.
After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1963 as an E-5, Ernie returned to Louisiana. After a brief venture as a shoe salesman at JC Penney, he began a career with the United States Department of Agriculture. Not long after moving to Louisiana, he and Jan became the parents of two sons, Richard Allen Armstrong and Mark Leslie Armstrong. Ernie poured deeply into his boys, demonstrating for them the values of hard work, commitment, determination, and respect.
His job led him back to Tensas Parish in 1972, where he lived until moving to Auburn, AL in 2017. Roots run deep in Tensas Parish, and moving away was hard for Ernie because in addition to the many friends he was leaving, it also meant giving up gardening and fishing, two of his favorite pastimes.
Ernie was also a strong believer in Jesus Christ and lived his life in a manner that honored the Lord he loved so dearly. For many years he was a member and deacon of St. Joseph Baptist Church where he made lifelong friends and found ways to serve both within his church and also through supporting the Louisiana Baptist Children’s home in Monroe, LA.
In 2017, Ernie and Jan moved to Auburn, AL where Mark lives. This allowed Ernie to be closer to his only grandchild, Turner Marie Armstrong, who he was blessed to see in many dance recitals, gymnastics meets, and church performances. He and Jan also found a new church home at Parkway Baptist Church, where they made many new beloved friends throughout the church but especially in the Agape Sunday School class.
Ernie is survived by his wife of 62 years, Janice Mitchell Armstrong; two sons, Richard Armstrong of Houston, TX, and Mark (Sarah) Armstrong of Auburn, AL; one granddaughter, Turner Marie Armstrong; a cherished sister-in-law, Arlene McCloskey of Durham, NC; and three nephews, Eddie (Dee) Sivils, Paul (Jennifer) Sivils, and Tim (Amy) Sivils along with a host of great nieces and nephews, many of whom took part in family Zoom calls which Ernie thoroughly enjoyed. He was predeceased by his parents, Charley and Louise Armstrong, his sister, Mary Jo Sivils and his treasured brother-in-law, Robert Sivils.
Ernie will be remembered by all as a wonderful husband, father, co-worker and friend. A celebration of life service will be held Friday, January 9 at 2:00 at Parkway Baptist Church in Auburn, AL. The family will receive visitors at the church beginning at 1:00. The service will be streamed and may be viewed by visiting the Parkway Baptist Church website (https://parkwayauburn.org/), their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/parkwayauburn), or their Youtube page (https://www.youtube.com/@parkwayauburn/streams).
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