Harvey 'Slim' Armstrong, 86

Harvey "Slim" Armstrong, 86, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005, in Spokane. Slim was a longtime resident of the Flathead Valley and a pioneer of Echo Lake.

Slim was born June 6, 1919, in Malta, and was a rancher until he moved to the valley in the 1940s.

He helped build Hungry Horse Dam and worked heavy equipment until becoming a long-haul truck driver. After a long career with Helphry Motor Freight, he bought his own rig in the 1970s. He also worked for Val-Con before retiring in the mid-1980s.

He loved to travel the country, so he and Margy bought a motorhome and became "Snow Birds." He was able to go back to all the places he wanted to stop and see when he was on the road. They especially enjoyed visiting Branson, Mo., Nashville, Tucson, Ariz., San Diego and family in the Vero Beach, Fla., area.

The things Slim loved most in life were his wife, his family, his home on Echo Lake, and his close friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margy, who passed away March 16, 2005.

He is survived by his children, Tami Ruckhaber and husband, Garth, of Spokane; sons, David Armstrong and wife, Katie, of Kalispell, Albert Greco and wife, Gina, of Spokane, and Lanny Greco and wife, Judy, of Spokane; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A memorial for family and friends to celebrate the lives of both Slim and Margy will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, at the family home on Echo Lake.