Maury Franklin Armstrong Jr

View Funeral WebcastFuneral services for Maury Franklin Armstrong, Jr., 42, will be conducted Thursday at 1:00 p.m. at Zion Presbyterian Church with Rev. Paul Joiner, Rev. Melinda Britt, and Rev. Scott Aleridge officiating. Burial will follow in Zion Churchyard with full military honors. The family will visit with friends Wednesday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols. Memorials may be made to the Armstrong Children's Trust, c/o First Farmers & Merchants Bank, 816 South Garden Street, Columbia 38401. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. Born in Maury County, he was a descendant of pioneer Maury County & Zion Community settlers. He was a 1987 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School. For several years he was employed as an electrician with Morgan Brothers Electric and most recently has been associated with Integrated Power Company in Nashville. He joined the U. S. Army in March of 1988 and immediately after basic training was deployed in Operation Desert Storm. He had an exceptional military career during several overseas deployments. Most recently he served as U. S. Army Staff Sgt. in Support of Iraq Freedom from May 30 to November 25, 2009, during which time he received the U. S. Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Expert Marksmanship Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Reserve Component Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device. Survivors include his children, Emmaclaire Armstrong, Benjamin Armstrong, and Porter Armstrong; his mother and step-father, Virginia Couch "Ginger" and A. C. Harlan of Columbia; sisters, Holly Louise (Richard Gilmore) Conners of Franklin and Virginia Helen "Hynie" (David) McDowell of Columbia; paternal grandmother and grandfather, Audrey Pickard and Hal Morgan of Columbia; aunt, Matilda Couch (Samuel) Beaird of Mt. Pleasant; uncles, James C. (Kate) Couch, Jr. of Columbia and Wallace (Karen) Couch of Hampshire; step-brothers, Don (Tammye) Harlan of Franklin and David (Lorrian) Harlan of Jackson; several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, Maury Franklin Armstrong, Sr. and maternal grandparents, Louise Wallace and James Cummins Couch, Sr. Honorary pallbearers include Wally Couch, Dr. Cummins Couch, Montie Couch, Edwin Couch, Chris Couch, Bell Couch, Dr. David Beaird, Dee Beaird, Brandon Heard, Jeff Head, John Edwards, Dr. Reams Powers, John Hamilton, Jim Hamilton, Robert Caldiraro, Paul Moser, and employees of Integrated Power Company.