Funeral services for Lorene A. Gust, 100, of Chamberlain will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at St. James Catholic Church in Chamberlain with burial in the Riverview Cemetery at Chamberlain. Visitation will begin Tuesday at 5 p.m. with a scripture service at 7 p.m. at St. James Catholic Church in Chamberlain.
Lorene Ann Gust, 100, of Chamberlain, died peacefully in her sleep on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, at Sanford Mid-Dakota Care Center in Chamberlain.
Lorene Ann Gust was born Dec. 9, 1917, in Ola Township, Brule County, the second of four children of John W. and Ada (Wattawa) Leiferman. She graduated from Chamberlain High School in 1935. She served as Brule County’s deputy treasurer after her father won election as treasurer in 1937. She married Paul A. Gust of Chamberlain on Sept. 28, 1939. He worked for Red Owl stores in Philip and Pierre before they purchased the Mobil station and moved to Chamberlain, where they settled to live and raise four children.
After five years at the Mobil station, they bought and operated Riverside Dairy, with Paul handling day-to-day operations and Lorene doing the office and bookwork. They bought and renovated a gas station into the Bottle Shop, a package liquor store, then purchased the A&W Family Restaurant and again worked as a team for many years. They moved the restaurant to the east shore of the Missouri River at the Interstate 90 exit. It became a highly popular place for both travelers and local folks. While Lorene did the book work for the A&W Restaurant, she also worked at Norwest Bank, later Wells Fargo, becoming an insurance agent during her time there.
Whether it was working together in business, renovating the three-story home, traveling to visit children and grandchildren or simply entertaining and enjoying the company of their many friends, Lorene and Paul were recognized throughout the community as an inseparable couple. After Paul died on Nov. 8, 1985, Lorene continued to operate the A&W for several years before selling the business. The Brule County Commission appointed her to the seat held by Paul Gust until his death. She finished that term and won re-election to another term on the commission.
Lorene was active in community organizations and events, including St. James Altar Society, economic development activities, historical projects and volunteer work. She loved to cook, collect thimbles and create quilts, many for children and grandchildren. She enjoyed travel, often taking a grandson or granddaughter with her. She saw most of the United States as well as such distant places as China and Singapore. She had an inquisitive nature and a keen memory, and almost to her last days at the care center, she consistently won trivia contests and Bingo games.
Lorene is survived by her four children: Terry (Joyce Jensen) Gust of Silver City, New Mexico, Nancy (Terry) Woster of Fort Pierre; Dan (Karen) Gust of Longmont, Colorado; and Tim Gust of Longmont, Colorado; as well as nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father and mother, her husband and her three brothers: Leroy Leiferman of Seattle; Meryl Leiferman of Sacramento, California, and Ron Leiferman of Omaha, Nebraska.
The family will direct any memorials to the Paul and Lorene Gust Scholarship at Chamberlain High School.
