Leo Frederick Rust, 95, of Brampton, ND passed away May 13, 2023. He was born February 1, 1928, on a farm east of Straubville, N.D., during a blizzard. He was the son of William C. Rust and Rose Eva (Archer) Rust. Leo grew up on the outskirts of Straubville and attended grade school there. He graduated from Cogswell High School, then attended North Dakota Agricultural College at Fargo. Leo was a cattle man and deeply passionate American farmer, growing an operation to one day involve thousands of acres of spring planting – a favorite role on the farm.
Leo married Betty Urie on October 20, 1951, at Brampton Lutheran Church. Betty and Leo lived in Straubville and raised three children Deborah, Mary, and Donald. In the late 1970s, they remodeled Betty’s family farmhouse near Brampton to make it their home. Leo was an excellent storyteller, and enjoyed reminiscing about fox hunting with hounds, the time the circus with the elephant came to Straubville, and other legends of different times. He was an engaging conversationalist, as long as you had his “good ear.”
Leo and Betty farmed long into their later years with their son Don, and grandson William as a fourth generation on the farm. Leo and Betty were active in Farm Bureau and the Republican Party, both providing many friendships across North Dakota. After their church closed, they helped organize the 1996 move of Brampton Lutheran Church to the Western Norway Emigration Center open-air museum at Slette, Norway. The entire church and contents are preserved as an example of a prairie immigrant church. Leo and Betty attended the dedication of the reconstructed church.
Leo, Betty and Don hosted over 50 young adults from foreign countries on their farm beginning in 1978. Many became lifelong friends whom they would travel internationally to visit. They also covered North Dakota to proudly watch their grandchildren in sports and rodeos. Betty and Leo moved into the Four Seasons Villas in 2018 where they built many lasting friendships. Leo was an avid reader, kept physically active, and enjoyed travel and visits to the farm until the end of his life.
Leo was preceded in death by his wife Betty and brother William. He is survived by a brother Charles and children Deb (Pete) Pederson; Mary (Brad) Shaw and Don (Kimm) Rust. He has 7 grandchildren Josie (Max) Milne, Toni Shaw, Kristi (Evan) Bartlett, Jenny (Joseph) Gagner, and Elizabeth Pederson; Katherine (Nick) McLaen and William Rust and 11 great grandchildren.
His funeral will be Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Forman with visitation one hour prior. Leo’s service will be live streamed on the Dahlstrom Funeral Home website www. dahlstromfuneralhome.com on his obituary page. Burial will take place at the Brampton Cemetery.
