Retirement smells sweet for Armstrong

By Susan Larson | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, November 10, 2007

From chasing skunks to handling wastewater, Rich Armstrong’s career with the city hasn’t always been the sweetest-smelling. Still, there had to be something appealing to keep him there for three decades.

After 33 years, Armstrong, 55, recently retired. He joined the city in November 1974 as its health inspector and dog catcher.

It wasn’t necessarily his dream job. Returning home after four years in the Marines, it looked as though Armstrong might have to go to the Twin Cities to look for work once his unemployment benefits ended. Fate intervened.

“Unemployment asked if I’d consider being a dog catcher … It was challenging. I remember one year I caught 43 skunks in live traps … I had to go home and shower a few times.”

Armstrong transferred to utility maintenance in 1982 after the city’s Public Health Department dissolved. He moved to the old wastewater treatment plant at Pisgah Dam in 1982. In 1999, he became wastewater treatment plant supervisor, a job he maintained until the end.

The job hasn’t been without its challenges, the biggest being the opening of the new wastewater plant in 1985.

“There was a lot of learning to do in a short amount of time,” he said. “The pump and controls were different.”

There has also been some excitement, such as an incident about two years ago; Armstrong arrived at work at 6 a.m. the morning after a power outage to find solids flowing into the river due to a power failure. He had the system back on line by 8:30 a.m., however.

“I’ve learned tricks over the years to fix it fast.”

Dedicated as he is to the city, Armstrong’s eye did stray once.

“In 1989, I was looking at another wastewater operator job in Austin (Minn.) We went down there and looked around and I appreciated what I had. That’s why we stayed in Fergus.”

That’s not all that’s kept him here.

“The camaraderie, the people I work with, and BS-ing at coffee breaks.”

As a way to give back to the community, Armstrong served on the fire department from 1977-97.

“I spent four years with the Marines, 33 years with the city and 20 with the fire department. That’s 57 years and I’m only 55,” he quipped.

As co-owner with wife Diane of The Love and Care Inn adult foster care, Armstrong is retired in name only.

The Armstrongs bought Love and Care 2.5 years ago. Diane was co-site manager of the facility and when it was up for sale, they bought it.

“Our family went from three to seven,” he said.

The Armstrongs, with their daughter, Amanda, 27, provide full-time, live-in care for four adults.

“With seven people in the house, there’s a lot to do,” Armstrong said. “The laundry is going everyday and there’s shopping everyday. I’m going to help out a little more and make (Diane and Amanda’s) lives easier.”

Caring for other takes a lot of commitment and dedication, and Armstrong enjoys every minute of it.

“It’s very rewarding, especially at holidays and birthdays,” he said. “It’s just a big family.”