When 92-year-old Arbie Armstrong’s family gathered at her house last week, she didn’t really understand why, but she was glad to see them all anyway.

However, the reason for the get-together soon became clear when Brandon Wilson, Haywood County’s director of veterans services, and John Mitchell, a representative from Sen. Richard Burr’s office, arrived to give Armstrong several special items.

Armstrong is the widow of Lee Armstrong, who served in the Army in World War I. Although he passed away in 1961, the couple was married for 21 years, and Armstrong is now one of the few living World War I widows in North Carolina.

As such, Wilson wanted to present her with the WWI State Victory Medal in honor of her late husband’s service.

“I wasn’t expecting it. Nobody told me. I don’t know what to ...