Kenneth Gilbert Rustad

Kenneth Gilbert Rustad passed away from this life on May 29, 2014, after a two-week illness. He was born to Kenneth George Rustad and Helen Emma Benjamin in Billings, MT, on December 17, 1940. His parents divorced when he was 4 and he spent the school year with his mom who taught school at various small-town Montana schools in his youth, settling in Choteau, MT, during his teenage years. He spent his summers on his father's ranch near Baker, MT, along with his step-mother Irene Nee Mendenhall; 2 step-brothers, Jim and Vern McCants; his half-sister, Thelma and half-brother Allen. He started his college at Montana State and then transferred to the University of Montana, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science in 1962. He then served the Peace Corps in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 and was then stationed with the Air Force at Eglin AFB in Florida from 1964 until 1969. He then pursued his Masters at UNM from 1969 to 1971. Then he came to Farmington in 1971 to work at what is now known as ECHO the EOC, where he met the love of his life Sophia Lucille Irvin and married her on April 28, 1972. He ran EOC for several more years and then left to write books. On November 13, 1979 his only child Rurik was born. He was briefly a part-time professor at San Juan College in the mid 80's and became San Juan Green Party secretary for a few years around 2000. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Sophia and step-brother Jim McCants. He is survived by his son Rurik; his half-sister, Thelma (Bill) Witt; half-brother Allen (Jan) Rustad and step-brother Vern McCants. Cremation will take place and memorial services will be held Thursday, June 5th at 11:00 am at Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, with Bishop George Payne conducting. Inurnment will take place a later date at Greenlawn Cemetery. Arrangements are with Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, 103 E. Ute St., in Farmington, (505)325-8688.