Friends and family celebrate a life taken too soon

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

Moments after hundreds of yellow balloons vanished into the sky, friends and family of Emma Armstrong broke the silence by softly singing happy birthday on the day the Hussar local would have turned 17 years old.
Loved ones gathered at the Strathmore ag grounds on Jan. 19 for a balloon release to remember Armstrong’s life and to celebrate her birthday, nearly two weeks after she lost her life in a motor vehicle accident.
Those who knew her well remembered a kind-hearted, spirited, competitive 16-year-old with an undeniable presence and love of sports.
Always by her side, and not just on the ice, is how her best friend Abby Hilton described her defense partner – having been on the same hockey team since Grade 6. Hilton said that when planning last weekend’s event, many ideas were mulled over, including sending pucks with candles onto the ice surface. But she added it seemed more appropriate to mirror Armstrong’s personality traits and provide a celebration instead.
“She was fiery on the ice – a competitor – and I’m small, but every time someone pushed me around she’d be right there to defend me; but off the ice she had a really big heart,” said Hilton. “She touched everyone’s lives. She was just full of life. She had this boyfriend who she called her husband all the time and she knew exactly how many kids she wanted to have. We’ve all been grieving, but now it’s time to remember the good times.”
As one of two children, Armstrong grew up in Hussar and attended school in the village until Grade 6, before attending Crowther Memorial Junior High School and later Strathmore High School. She was an avid athlete participating in hockey, curling, figure skating, baseball, slow pitch, badminton, tubing, water skiing and surfing.
Her love for sports was echoed in anecdotes and memories shared by those in attendance last weekend, including Eric Sandum, Larissa Hiebert and Brooke Fandry – from Hussar – who had known Armstrong since infancy. They spoke of her infectious smile and a void that is now left behind.
“We’ve grown up with her and I’ve known her since I was one,” said Sandum. “She was bright and she was loud. I hope everyone knows how awesome she was and how loved and missed she is. This helps everybody a lot.”
Before the balloons took to the sky, many with personalized or happy birthday messages written on their surfaces, her father Clay Armstrong, surrounded by other family members, addressed the crowd.
“Emma would’ve been proud and we all appreciate the love and support that you’ve given our family and her friends,” he said.
Although it took seconds for the balloons to be released, silence lingered as friends and family stood frozen watching the balloons soar into the sky.
Hilton, along with those Armstrong has touched, knows her friend’s memory will live on, when she said, “she won’t be forgotten, I know that.”