- Date Of Birth: December 1, 1924
- Date Of Death: February 8, 2022
- State: Illinois
Paul O. Rust, 97, of South Jacksonville, IL, died Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at Heritage Health in Jacksonville.
He was born Dec. 1, 1924, in Ipava, the son of Heike Albert and Gladys Mariann Stubblefield Rust. He married Lois Jane Smith on July 24, 1949, at Central Christian Church in Jacksonville, and she survives.
He is also survived by one son, Paul Wesley (Deb) Rust; one daughter, Sarah Lois Rust Reinke; four granddaughters, Heather Colwell, Laura Books, Ginny Walsh, and Emma Reinke; eight great-grandchildren; and Eeva Laukkanen, an International Christian Youth Exchange student from Finland, who lived with the family for a year, and is as loved as a daughter. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Elizabeth “Bettie” Ann Doolin and Christena Mae “Tena” Martin.
Mr. Rust graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1942, and entered Illinois College in 1942, before serving in the United States Air Force at Bolling Field, Washington D.C. from 1943 to 1946. He earned an AB degree from Illinois College in 1949 as a history major. While at IC, he was a member of Phi Alpha Literary Society, played football, and was a member of the choir, where he met Lois.
Following graduation, Paul was manager of Nichols Park swimming pool from 1949 to 1951, during which time the pool was desegregated. He later earned his Master’s in Education in 1954 from the University of Illinois. He began his teaching career at Franklin High School from 1949 to 1951, where he taught and coached 6-man football. He went on to work for Jacksonville School District #117 from 1952 to 1987, where he taught at Franklin Elementary for 19 years, Turner Junior High for 12 years, and Eisenhower School for four years. During the summer months, Paul was a crop hail claims adjuster for Country Companies for 25 years.
Mr. Rust served as President and Regional Representative for Jacksonville Education Association, was a delegate for Illinois Education Association, and was an Illinois delegate to the National Education Association. He was also an NEA life member, an IRTA member, and a member of Phi Delta Kappa. He was a South Jacksonville Boy Scout Troop 113 committee member and merit badge counselor.
Paul was an ordained elder (Emeritus) of Central Christian Church in Jacksonville (Disciples of Christ), where he drove the church bus and was a member of the church choir for more than 40 years. He served on the World Outreach Committee and participated in mission trips to Paraguay and Thailand. He was also a volunteer for Doorbell Dinners and Jacksonville Food Center. He served on the Illinois College Alumni Board and was named the Illinois College Distinguished Citizen in 1992. He enjoyed woodworking, photography, and traveling – to all 50 states, all seven continents, and many countries.
