Henry William Rust
Funeral Friday for Henry Rust, 89, Landscape Artist
Henry William Rust, 89, who established Rust Nursery and launched it as a successful landscaping business, passed away Wednesday morning at the home of his eldest daughter, Mrs. Mary Russel in Crown Point, with whom he had resided for the past year.Born in Hanover, Germany, Henry came to Kankakee, Ill., in 1882, when he was 20, and in 1891 moved to Kreitzburg, near St. John, to work for Henry Seegers. In 1896 he married Sophia Borchers and two years later they moved to the farm which he purchased on the Nine-Mile Stretch near the Southeast Grove road.
In 1916 Henry bought the Jay Crawford farm to the east, moved there and landscaped the place with many varieties of evergreens. As a boy in Germany, he had learned the skills of transplanting trees and shrubs and had a deep appreciation for the beauty of flowers which always bloomed profusely under his expert care.
Mr. Rust started doing professional landscaping in 1920 and his first job was the Ernie Lynch home, now owned by the R. M. Blacks. He landscaped the yard of the late Dr. Iddings, now Weaver's funeral home, and his artistic arrangements soon brought calls from Crown Point, Gary and over the county. His only son, George Rust, was associated with him in the nursery and landscaping business and George now operates the ever-expanding business.
Besides Mary and George, Henry has one other child, Mrs. Charles (Olga) Kriser of near Leroy. Survivors also include seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, besides a host of friends. One granddaughter and one great granddaughter preceded him in death. His wife passed away seven years ago.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, at the Trinity Lutheran church in Crown Point. Rev. Herman J. Meyer will officiate. Interment will be beside his wife in Maplewood cemetery, Crown Point.
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