1936 - 2025
Lila Lee (Waggoner) Armstrong, 89, passed away Friday morning, April 25, 2025 at Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor, where she had been living since December 2022.
She was born in Winfield, Kansas on April 10, 1936, to Jesse Harper and Rebecca Jane (Jones) Waggoner, and was raised on east Ninth Street with her four sisters. She attended Winfield schools and loved playing on Observation Hill as a child.
She married Robert Goldwater in 1956 and they had one daughter, Marilyn. They later divorced. She married Perry Gene Armstrong in 1966 and they had two sons, Larry and James. They later divorced.
Lila lived most of her life in Winfield, but did live in Manhattan, Kansas for a short time when her children were young. There, she worked at McCall’s Sewing Pattern Factory. Upon returning to Winfield, she began her career at William Newton Hospital, starting in Laundry and the Kitchen, then moving to Housekeeping, where she worked for many years. She worked at the hospital full-time from 1974 until late 1999 and part-time there from 2000 until 2006. Lila liked to talk about cleaning all the areas of the hospital, including the patient rooms, delivery room, Physician’s Pavilion, and the pathology department. She enjoyed visiting with the patients, doctors, nurses, and other staff members. Lila was a hard worker and was fiercely independent, often working two or three jobs at the same time.
In addition to the hospital, she worked part-time in housekeeping at Riverview Manor in Oxford, and at several places in Winfield, including Coad Candy Company, Winfield Laundry, several offices that she cleaned and also at the hotels south of Winfield, doing housekeeping and preparing the guest breakfast area.
Lila was proud of being a Winfield resident and enjoyed attending and participating in the town’s activities, including the Cowley County Fair, KANZA Days, Art in the Park, and the Walnut Valley Festival. She won several ribbons for her handiwork at the fair. She volunteered for many years at the Walnut Valley Festival, doing such things as maintaining the restroom facilities and working the entry gate for the entertainers. She very much enjoyed it.
Lila also had the opportunity to travel, visiting such places as Branson (with her sisters), Seattle (to visit her daughter), the St. Louis Arch, Graceland Mansion, The Grand Ole Opry, and The Ryman Auditorium.
For many years, she enjoyed walking as much as she could, all over Winfield, for exercise. When she had a knee replacement, she often went to the Fairgrounds and walked up and down the bleachers in the Grandstands to help rehab and strengthen her new knee. She also enjoyed crocheting, going to the casinos to play slot machines and BINGO, going out to eat, doing jigsaw puzzles, listening to gospel and bluegrass music, shopping at Walmart and Dillons, and having family gatherings. She attended Harvest Fellowship Church in Arkansas City and Central Baptist Church in Winfield.
She is survived by her daughter Marilyn (Robert) James of Mulvane; sons, Larry (Chris) Armstrong of Winfield; James (Katie Linderman) Armstrong of Lamont, OK; grandchildren, Brian James, Justin (Tabitha) Armstrong, Sean Armstrong, Annabelle, Jamie Kay Armstrong; great grandchildren, Logan, Grace, and Claire Armstrong, Sierra Thomas, and Kyler Villa; step grandchildren, Tanna and Thomas Linderman, Brett (Madi) McClure, Jace (Stormie Ranzau) McClure; step great grandchildren, Joshua, Shyann, and Alexis Clark, Brylen and Jack McClure, and Charlie Linderman; her sister Linda (Lou) Steward of Winfield; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
In addition to her parents, Lila was preceded in death by three sisters, Nancy John, Jessie Jean Waggoner, and Margaret Prichard, and infant daughter, Rebecca Jane Armstrong, a granddaughter Tessa (James) Kessel, and a great granddaughter Chelsey Kessel.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, May 3, 2025 at Miles Funeral Service in Winfield. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery. A visitation is scheduled at the funeral home for Friday evening from 4 to 8. The family will greet visitors from 4 to 6 that evening.
A memorial has been established in Lila’s name for the William Newton Hospital Auxiliary. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.
