Lindsey Nordby

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

A few weeks back, on September 21, 2023, around 3:00pm, my husbands grandmother, Ellen, passed away.

Ellen was one of the first people I met when joining Michael’s family. She was welcoming, king, gracious, and deeply loving. Her love for her family and Jesus was so visible and sincere.

Because I didn’t know Ellen for much of my life, I never had the opportunity to get to know her background or upbringing. However, there is one memory I will never forget.

The whole family used to all attend church together in the days before COVID, and after church everyone would gather for brunch together. Ellen was mostly quiet, listening, and observing. Being newer into the family at the time, I typically didn’t offer up information about myself unless asked – that’s the shyness in me.

One Sunday, just as we were finishing up with brunch, Ellen grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, telling me that I need to get all of my stories out of my head and put them onto paper, and write books.

I had never told Ellen of my desire to write a book or that I already had a started draft. But somehow, though her thoughtful observation, she knew what was deep in my heart.

I loved that about Ellen.

She always seemed to know what was on your heart and speak the words she knew you needed to hear.

There is one other instance that I can think of, that I won’t get into here for a number of reasons, but another memory where she deeply knew what I needed.

With all my grandparents in other states, seeing Ellen every week felt like I got an extra grandma, even before Mike and I were married.

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t get to know Ellen as much as I would have liked to. As such, I wanted to end this with sharing the story of Ellen’s life, as written by her children, my mother-in-law and uncle-in-law, shared on ccu.edu.

Ellen Mae Eaton was born April 18, 1934, to an impoverished family during the depths of the Great Depression. She rose from hardscrabble life on a desolate homestead in Wheatland, Wyoming, and a poor but loving childhood in Chadron, Nebraska, to national centers of influence in Washington, D.C.

Politics was part of Ellen Armstrong’s life from the day she married Bill in 1962 – just a week after he became the youngest nominee in history for the Colorado State House. They learned the ropes together over the next 25 years. Ellen became a beloved presence at political events in Colorado for six decades, known for a genuine, friendly, and caring spirit.

During the 18 years her husband served in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Ellen raised their two children, Anne and Wil. At the same time, she became a leader of numerous charitable organizations, mentor to hundreds of young staffers, founder of congressional Bible study groups, and friend of some of the nation’s most powerful leaders.

Ellen was involved in the National Federation for Drug Free Youth (the bi-partisan congressional wives’ group), the Republican Congressional Women’s Club, and was an officer in the Congressional Wives Prayer Group. She served as a member of the International Club, a group of spouses of senators, cabinet members, ambassadors, and reporters.

In 1976, Ellen chaired the annual first lady’s congressional luncheon and later became friends with Betty Ford, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. For 18 years, she was an active member of the Friday Group Bible study group in the home of Joann Kemp, wife of Congressman, Cabinet Member, and Vice-Presidential nominee Jack Kemp.

Ellen also hosted similar Bible study groups in her own homes, in both Washington and Denver. In the 1980s, she helped start the bipartisan Senate Spouses prayer breakfast, which is still active today. During this time, she told friends that as her faith grew, she was energized by a passion to share the Gospel with others.

She became heavily involved in the Senate Spouses Club, a Red Cross unit founded in 1917 that hosted blood drives on Capitol Hill and made clothes for newborn babies and indigent mothers. Ellen later served on the advisory committee of the Susan B. Anthony List, one of the country’s most influential pro-life organizations.

She had a heart for persecuted Christians and Jews all over the world, the vulnerable, and the poor, and she traveled widely to help shed light on human rights abuses, especially in the Soviet Union. Ellen was active in many organizations promoting these causes.

When her husband retired from the Senate in 1991, he and Ellen returned home to Colorado, where she joined the Board of Trustees of Colorado Christian University, and the board of elders at Cherry Hills Community Church. She left the CCU board when her husband was appointed president of the school. But in her role as CCU’s “first lady,” she was a constant and faithful supporter, booster, and presence at campus events for over a decade.

Ellen and Bill presided over an unprecedented period of growth and realignment at CCU. Her son, Wil, is now the chairman of the Board of Trustees at the university.

Throughout their lives together, Ellen and Bill Armstrong were highly successful in business, and she was a co-owner, officer, and board member in numerous businesses: the Colorado Springs Sun, Armstrong Broadcasting, Cherry Creek Mortgage, KEZW Radio, and others.

Bill Armstrong often referred to her as his greatest asset, and at their 50th anniversary party, remarked that his “greatest success in life was marrying the right woman.” Their marriage and love for each other was an inspiration to their family.

https://www.ccu.edu/news/2023/former-first-lady-ellen-armstrong-dies/

Rest in Peace, Grandma Ellen. We love you!