John Luke Armstrong (1876-1961): A Short Biography by Fran Rhodes

August 24, 2016

John Luke Armstrong was born in Augusta, Georgia on October 17, 1876, the son of John Francis Armstrong (1845-1893) and Sarah Theresa McAndrew Armstrong (1845-1887). John Luke was the fourth of their six children: Mary Ellen “May” Armstrong Casey Morrison (1870-1950), Francis “Frank” Bernard Armstrong (1872-1884), James “Jim” Patrick Armstrong (1874-1948), Thomas Joseph “Joe” Armstrong, and Luke Parnell Armstrong (1883-1883).

Luke Parnell died as an infant in 1883 and Frank died in 1884 at the age of twelve.

Their mother, Sarah, had been in poor health for several years and died on January 20th, 1887. Their father, John F., died at age forty-eight on November 9th, 1893 in Milledgeville State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia. Both are buried in Magnolia Cemetery in downtown Augusta.

For several years, John and his brothers attended boarding school in Sharon, Georgia. Their sister May cared for their ailing mother while their father was engaged in business and politics regarding the National Land League of America and the Irish National League of America.

Later, John and Jim excelled in their studies at the high school at Sacred Heart College in Augusta and at the high school at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.

John married Katherine “Cassie” Felicitas Ring Sheehan, daughter of Annie Hickey and Edward Sheehan, on April 12, 1898 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Augusta. They had ten children, including two sets of twins. They were: Kathryn “Kaker” (1899-1977); John Francis (1900-1935); Marianna “Nan” (1902-1995); Mary Louise (1905-1991); Edward Sheehan “Dr. Ed” (1907-1999); Bernard “Beanie” (1909-1836) and twin Gerald “Fr. Jerry” (1909-1996); Joseph “Joe” Aloysius (1911-1970); and Philip Joseph (1913-1996) and twin Agnes “Ag” Theresa Armstrong Rhodes (1913-1997).

While eight of the ten children lived into their eighties and nineties, John F. died at thirty-five with pneumonia and Bernard at twenty-six in a car accident.

John L. Armstrong (1876-1961) holding his granddaughter Kathryn Armstrong Rhodes Owens, From L to R are his granddaughters: Dot Armstrong, Martha Armstrong Howerdd, Mary Armstrong Maxwell, and Frances Armstrong Gwin, c. 1939, Image courtesy of Fran Rhodes

L to R: Katie O’Connor Armstrong, Jim Armstrong, John L. Armstrong, and Cassie Sheehan Armstrong, 1940s, Image courtesy of Fran Rhodes

John and Cassie raised their children at 1352 Broad Street and attended Sacred Heart Church on Greene Street. In 1925, they moved to 2240 McDowell Street in the Summerville section of Augusta and became members of St. Mary-on-the-Hill Catholic Church. John continued to attend daily Mass at Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s, or St. Patrick’s (now Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church).

In 1951, John celebrated fifty years as an insurance executive with U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty of Baltimore, Maryland. Three of his children – John F., Louise, and Joe – assisted him in his office downtown on 8th Street.

John and Cassie had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. Between John’s three siblings and Cassie’s nine siblings who lived to adulthood, the John L. Armstrong family is related to the Casey, Morrison, Van Sant, Sheehan, Herman, Kemp, and Markwalter families of Augusta, Georgia and all of their descendants!

–By Fran Rhodes