Oscar Gustus

Oscar Truman Gustus, 89, of Tucson, AZ, formerly of Illinois, died Thursday, September 30, 2010 in Tucson. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 23rd, at the Cambridge Chapel of Stackhouse-Moore Funeral Services. Rev. Barbara Rapp will officiate. Graveside inurnment services will be at Rosedale Cemetery, Cambridge. There is no visitation. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation or the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Scales Mound, IL.

Oscar was born December 17, 1920 in Ophiem, IL, the son of Reuel and Florence (Johnson) Gustus. He was educated in Ophiem and Cambridge schools, as well as Augustana College in Rock Island. When World War II was declared, he volunteered for the Army Air Corp, serving as an instrument flight instructor. His marriage to Edith Hulting of Geneseo took place on July 16, 1942. He spent 35 years as a traffic engineer and president of Bell and Gustus, Inc.

After retiring in 1980, he and Edith moved to Jo Daviess County, Illinois, where he was a founding member of the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, the Illinois Walnut Council, and the Northwest Forestry Association. They planted over 25,000 trees on their farm and received a 25 year award from the Illinois Tree Farm organization. The couple attended the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church.

Those surviving are his wife, Edith, Tucson, four children, Rolfe (Lia) Gustus, Woodstock, IL, Ingrid Williams, Tucson, Brand (Donna) Gustus, Mt. Prospect, IL, Leon (June) Gustus, Palm Harbor, FL, nine grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Other survivors include two sisters, Gloria Koontz, Buffalo, NY, Beverly Twichell, Redlands, CA, and a sister-in-law, Martha Gustus, Swansea, IL. His parents, a sister, Lois Horberg, and a brother, Dale Gustus, preceded him in death.