Ralph Rustad

Ralph Eugene Rustad 81, of Ollie passed away on Sunday, September 14, 2003, at the Fallon Medical Complex. He was born March 21, 1922 at Beach, North Dakota, the youngest son of George & Lola (Opperman) Rustad. Ralph grew up and attended schools in Ollie, graduating from the Ollie High School in 1939. He attended Eastern Montana College at Billings. With the drought and depression in Eastern Montana, he spent his summers fighting forest fires in the Missoula area. In 1942 he enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the 91st division of the Fifth Army, commonly known as the Powder River Division. He completed basic training at Medford, Oregon and special training in the Eastern Oregon Desert. Ralph entered World War II, serving in the North Africa, Sicily and Italian campaigns as a member of an antitank company. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart along with inclusions in several unit citations. Ralph was honorably discharged in November of 1945. He returned to the Ollie area to farm with his Dad. Ralph and Ellen Gustafson were united in marriage March 3, 1946 on the family farm south of Baker. To this union, two sons, Keith and Brian were born. In the fall of 1946 they bought a small farm south of Ollie and Ralph?s farming and ranching career began in earnest. Ralph loved to trade horses and real estate and over the next twenty years he bought and sold three more ranches. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and in 1967, ventured into the fishing camp business in Northern Canada, but sold it six years later. Ralph bought another ranch near Whitehall, MT. They spent their winters at Whithall and summers at Ollie. In 1994 they sold the Whitehall ranch and returned to the Ollie and Baker area until his death. Ralph was active in the Baker Sportsman Club, the American Lutheran Church and served on ASCS committees and BLM advisory boards. Survivors include his wife, Ellen of 57 years; two sons, Keith and Brian of the Ollie-Carlyle area. His parents and two brothers, Kenneth and Hubert, preceded Ralph in death.


Burial Date: September 18, 2003
Funeral Home Baker, MT

Funeral: Thursday, American Lutheran Church