Modern Advice From a 90 Year Old in 1988

Posted on | June 19, 2025 | Comments Off on Modern Advice From a 90 Year Old in 1988

Mike Magee

These days we’re all seeking good advice, how best to manage fear and worry, to focus on the goodness in others, and believe that caring and compassion are rationale responses to those in need. But surprisingly, advice – whether free or at a price – is mostly off the mark.

But not in the case of Elodie Armstrong. At the age of 50, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Forty years later, she took the time out to share a bit of wisdom with her family and friends.

Her daughter, Marge Wisner of Longview, Washington, described her mother as “a special lady, full of fun, spirituality, and faith. She is an inspiration to all who know her.”

Olivena Elodie Smith was born in Greenwood, Wisconsin on Christmas Eve in 1897. She was one of five children. She married Arthur Armstrong on June 10, 1916, and they went on to have three children – William, Betty Mae, and Marjorie Jeanne. Their mother died on November 9, 1994, at the age of 96.

Back in 1988, Marge decided to share the advice her mother had written down with her local paper which then printed it – twice. Encouraged by the response, she wrote a note to Ann Landers. It said, “I would like to share her personal commandments with you in the hope that you will print them.”

On September 3, 1988, Ann Landers did just that in her very popular, nationally syndicated column. That column is displayed above. And Elodie Armstrong’s advice has never been more relevant than it is today. I encourage you to read it carefully, and share it with family, friends and colleagues far and wide. Elodie may be gone, but you can help assure she is not forgotten.