Lorie Merritt Armbrust, 94, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Wednesday, February 1, 2017, at 7:02 p.m. at Court House Manor where she had been a resident since July 28, 2016.
Mrs. Armbrust was born May 13, 1922, in Washington Court House, Ohio to Joseph H. and Gladys L. Brown Merritt. She was the salutatorian of the 1940 graduating class at Washington High School and attended Wilmington College.
As a member of the Future Teachers of America in high school, Lorie tutored grade school children in arithmetic. She went on to a career in teaching music, girls’ chorus, seventh and eighth grade math and high school business math. Later, she served as Fayette County Recorder for 22 years. As an Ohio Recorders’ Association member, she held each of the offices, including a term as President. She and her husband, Norman, worked as a team at the Fayette County Children’s Home, Norman as Superintendent and Lorie as Matron.
She was an active member of the McNair Memorial Presbyterian Church where she had been an elder, a long-time choir director, church pianist and Sunday school teacher. She organized and was the first president of the Washington Court House Kiwaniannes; was a charter member of the Fayette County Choral Society and had served on the board of Habitat for Humanity. She was a past president of the Washington Court House Business and Professional Women’s Club and currently was a member of Altrusa International of which she was the first treasurer of the Washington Court House chapter. She was inducted into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2012, and was honored as a Hometown Hero by the American Red Cross in Fayette County, also in 2012. Music was an important of her life. She was an accomplished pianist and vocalist as well as an excellent cook and seamstress.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman A. Armbrust on August 10, 2016; by a brother, Marvin J. Merritt; a sister and brother-in-law, Alice Jean and Roy E. Noon; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Harold and Rosemary Armbrust and a brother-in-law, Edwin Thompson.
Mrs. Armbrust is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Marjorie and David Ellen of Nine Miles Falls, WA; two sons, Greg Armbrust and his wife, Lillian, of Stockton, CA and Gary Armbrust of Washington Court House; three grandchildren, Heather Uribe, Adam (Danyel) Ellen and Scott Grayson; five great grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Carol Merritt of Middleton, OH and Rebecca J. Thompson of Washington Court House and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Tuesday, February 7, 2017, at 11 a.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House with the Rev. Steven A. Watters, pastor at the McNair Memorial Presbyterian Church, officiating. Burial will follow in the Washington Cemetery.
Friends may call at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House Monday from 4-8 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to the McNair Memorial Presbyterian Church, c/o Susan Speck, 219 East Circle Avenue; Altrusa Club of Washington Court House Foundation ,P.O. Box 253, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160 or the American Red Cross, 995 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205.
www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com