George Armstrong Wife: Meet Elizabeth Custer and Betty Ann Armstrong

The name George Armstrong can refer to more than one well-known public figure, which can make searches about his wife a little confusing.

Two notable men who carried the name George Armstrong were George Armstrong Custer, the 19th-century U.S. Army cavalry commander, and George “Chief” Armstrong, the legendary Toronto Maple Leafs hockey captain.

Both men had wives who became important parts of their personal stories, but their lives unfolded in very different periods and circumstances.

George Armstrong Custer was married to Elizabeth “Libbie” Bacon Custer. Their marriage began during the Civil War and lasted until Custer’s death at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.

George “Chief” Armstrong, meanwhile, married Betty Ann Shannon in 1954. The couple remained together for 67 years, until Armstrong’s death in 2021.

Here is a closer look at the two women connected to these two famous George Armstrongs.

Elizabeth “Libbie” Bacon Custer Was George Armstrong Custer’s Wife

Elizabeth “Libbie” Bacon became the wife of George Armstrong Custer in the 1860s.

The couple married in 1864, during a period when Custer was serving as a U.S. Army officer during the American Civil War.

Their marriage took place while Custer’s military career was developing rapidly. He had become known for his aggressive battlefield style and had risen through the ranks during the war.

Libbie became closely associated with her husband’s public image. Their marriage was not simply a private relationship because Custer’s military career placed him in the public eye.

After the Civil War, Custer continued his military career during the Indian Wars. Libbie remained connected to him and became an important figure in the story that followed his death.

Libbie Custer’s Life Changed After Little Bighorn

George Armstrong Custer died in 1876 at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

His death became one of the most famous events associated with the U.S. military’s conflicts with Native American nations during the 19th century.

For Libbie, the battle meant losing her husband at a relatively young age.

She never remarried after Custer’s death. Instead, she devoted much of the rest of her life to preserving and defending his reputation.

According to the supplied information, Libbie spent the next 57 years actively promoting her husband’s military legacy through books and lectures.

Her long public campaign meant that she became known not only as Custer’s widow but also as one of the strongest voices shaping how the public remembered him.

Libbie Custer Wrote About Her Husband

After Custer’s death, Libbie became an author and lecturer.

She wrote about her marriage and her memories of Custer, helping create a lasting public image of the cavalry commander.

Her work reflected her personal perspective as his widow and was part of a broader effort to preserve his reputation.

This is an important part of Libbie’s story because she did not simply disappear from public life following her husband’s death.

Instead, she remained connected to his legacy for decades.

Her books and lectures allowed her to tell her version of events and explain the man she had known personally.

Over time, she became closely identified with the memory of Custer himself.

Libbie Custer Lived for Decades After Her Husband

Custer died in 1876, but Libbie lived for many more years.

The supplied details note that she spent 57 years after his death defending his military legacy.

Her longevity meant that she remained a living connection to Custer’s era long after the Civil War and Little Bighorn had passed into American history.

Her public appearances and writings helped keep the Custer name familiar to later generations.

At the same time, modern historians and historians of Native American history have examined Custer’s career from many perspectives. Libbie’s writings represent her own personal viewpoint and should be understood in that context.

Betty Ann Armstrong Was George “Chief” Armstrong’s Wife

The other notable George Armstrong was George “Chief” Armstrong, the longtime Toronto Maple Leafs captain.

Unlike Custer, Chief Armstrong belonged to the world of professional hockey.

Armstrong became one of the most important players in Toronto Maple Leafs history. He captained the team and helped lead the club to four Stanley Cup championships during the 1960s.

His wife was Betty Ann Armstrong, whose maiden name was Shannon.

The couple married in 1954 and remained together for 67 years.

Their marriage lasted through Armstrong’s entire rise as one of the most recognizable figures in Toronto hockey.

Betty Ann and George Armstrong Had a Long Marriage

Betty Ann Armstrong’s marriage to George “Chief” Armstrong was remarkably long.

They married in 1954 and remained together until his death in 2021.

That means their relationship covered nearly seven decades.

During those years, Armstrong experienced the highs and challenges of professional hockey, including his years as Maple Leafs captain and the team’s Stanley Cup success.

Betty Ann was therefore part of a major period in her husband’s life and career.

Unlike Libbie Custer, whose marriage ended tragically after roughly a dozen years, Betty Ann shared most of her adult life with her husband.

George “Chief” Armstrong Became a Hockey Legend

George Armstrong was born into a very different era from George Armstrong Custer.

Armstrong became a professional hockey player and spent much of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He earned the nickname “Chief” and became a respected leader on and off the ice.

His greatest team achievements came during the Maple Leafs’ championship years.

He captained Toronto to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1960s, cementing his place in the franchise’s history.

Armstrong later became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, further establishing his status as one of the important figures in Canadian hockey.

Betty Ann Armstrong Stayed Out of the Spotlight

While her husband became a major hockey personality, Betty Ann Armstrong largely lived outside the intense public attention that followed his career.

Her significance in this story comes largely from the length and stability of their marriage.

The couple were together for 67 years, making their relationship an important part of Armstrong’s personal life.

George Armstrong died in 2021 at the age of 90.

Betty Ann had shared more than six decades with him by that point, covering his playing career, his years as a hockey executive and his later life.

Why the George Armstrong Name Can Be Confusing

Searching for “George Armstrong wife” can produce very different results because of the two famous men associated with the name.

If the search concerns George Armstrong Custer, his wife was Elizabeth “Libbie” Bacon Custer.

If it concerns George “Chief” Armstrong, the Toronto Maple Leafs legend, his wife was Betty Ann Armstrong, formerly Shannon.

Their stories could hardly be more different.

Libbie Custer became famous for defending her husband’s military reputation after his death at Little Bighorn. Betty Ann Armstrong shared a long marriage with a celebrated hockey player who became one of the most important captains in Maple Leafs history.

Both women, however, became connected to men whose names remained prominent long after their respective careers ended.

Two Wives, Two Very Different Family Stories

The stories of Elizabeth Custer and Betty Ann Armstrong show why identifying the correct George Armstrong matters.

Elizabeth “Libbie” Bacon Custer married George Armstrong Custer in 1864 and remained devoted to his memory after his death in 1876. She spent decades writing and speaking about him, becoming an important figure in the preservation of his public legacy.

Betty Ann Armstrong married George “Chief” Armstrong in 1954 and remained his wife until his death in 2021. Their 67-year marriage stretched across the entirety of Armstrong’s professional hockey career and much of his later life.

Both women occupied very different places in history, but each became an important part of the story surrounding her husband.

So, if you’re looking for George Armstrong’s wife, the answer depends on which George Armstrong you mean. George Armstrong Custer was married to Elizabeth “Libbie” Bacon Custer, while Toronto Maple Leafs legend George “Chief” Armstrong was married to Betty Ann Armstrong.