Hannah Angeline Armstrong: A Few Words Tell a Tale

Among the Armstrong family papers is a 16-page memorial to Mrs. Hannah A. (Pancake) Armstrong, first wife of Edward McCarty Armstrong, Sr.. The memorial includes songs sung at the funeral as well as a long sermon, with just one page and another paragraph devoted to the woman herself. The husband's obituary informs us that the two married in Cumberland, Maryland, on September 3, 1837. The Armstrong family tree indicates that Hannah and Edward had seven children, but this funeral publication mentions eight children, "seven of whom survived her." At first, I thought that there must be some mistake in the printing. Then I located online a list of grave markers for Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney, West Virginia. Among the list were numerous Armstrongs related to the family in which Hannah married:

• Baker W. Armstrong: born Feb 4, 1842; died Aug 25, 1861-- "at Winchester, VA" "Aged 19 yrs 6 mos" "Our young soldier sleeps well".
• Chichester Tapscott Armstrong: born mar 12, 1846; died Sep 1, 1850; "Son of Wm. J. & Susan C. Armstrong".
• Elenor Baxter Armstrong: died Sep 15, 1826; "Wife of David Armstrong".
• David A. Armstrong: died Apr 29, 1838.
• Elizabeth Armstrong: died Jul 4, 1843; "Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Elizabeth Armstrong who departed this life on the evening of 4th of July 1843, aged 57 years. The deceased was for many years of the Presbyterian Church & a Christian o f the purest & noblest character. Her death bed scene was one which can never be forgotten; so solemn, so careful, so sublime; it seemed as if the Chamber of her death was none other than the gate of Heaven; as a wife, a mother, a member of the Church of Christ, a neighbor & Friend she had no superior. This monument is erected to her memory by those who morn her & know how to appreciate her Virtues".
• Fannie Jane Armstrong: born Mar 22, 1848; died Sep 30, 1857; "Dau. of Wm. J. & Susan C. Armstrong".
• Hannah Angeline Armstrong: bor Feb 26, 1819; died Aug 3, 1854 "in the faith of the gospel".
• infant Armstrong: died Jul 21, 1854; "Daughter of E.M. & H.A. Armstrong".
• Louisa Tapscott Armstrong: born Feb 2, 1837; died Jul 7, 1841; "Dau. of Wm. J. & Susan C. Armstrong"
• Sarah Elizabeth Armstrong: born Oct 24, 1851 "in Romney": died May 13, 1932 "in Danville, VA" "Daughter of Edward McCarty Armstrong & Hannah Angeline Pancake".
• William Armstrong: born Dec 22, 1782 "in Lisburn, Ireland"; died May 10, 1865 "in Hampshire County, West Virginia".
• William James Armstrong: born Jun 28, 1813; died Jun 19, 1847; "Aged 33 yrs 11 mos 22 days" "Son of Wm. & Elizabeth Armstrong".

A quick reader will note the information from those markers close together in the Indian Mound Cemetery: Hannah Angeline Armstrong, who died on Aug. 3, 1854, and the infant daughter of Hannah and Edward, born on July 21, 1854. What do those dates tell us? That the infant was interred without being named, and thus was probably stillborn. That complications from the birth perhaps caused the death of the mother. These are guesses, but educated guesses. From these guesses, we have a tale: a family doubly bereaved. This thirty-five year old mother left behind seven living children, all of whom had to be under seventeen years of age. Two years later, Edward McCarty Armstrong was to marry Louisa Tapscott White, from whose union seven more children were produced, including Baker White Armstrong, Sr., my husband's great-grandfather.

There are other stories here; tease them out by looking at the information from the markers. But for now, we remember Hannah Angeline, dead at thirty-five years of age.

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