Star athlete Gust was warrior to very end

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, November 3, 2007

Paul Gust, Jr., a 1940s Fergus Falls High School athlete who later starred as a city league basketball player, remained a fighter the latter years of his life while battling Multiple Sclerosis. His gallant battle ended Monday, Oct. 29, when he died on his 76th birthday.

In the late 1940s Gust was an all-around athlete in four sports — football, basketball, baseball and track — at Fergus Falls High School.

He was a member of the Gust Elevators City League basketball team that won seven consecutive titles from 1955 through 1961.

Gust was the leading scorer for a local team in April 1960 when a group of all-stars played Elgin Baylor and the Minneapolis Lakers in a Jaycees benefit basketball game at the Fergus Falls High School gymnasium. A year later the Lakers moved to Los Angeles.

Joining Gust and playing against the Lakers were Gordy Bakken, Gust’s brother in law, and Roland Harlow, Len Rendz, Ken Reitan, Rocky Elton, Lowell Noack, Dick Hefte, Romie Gail and Elbow Lake standouts Jerry Sweeney and Bill Crowe.

“Paul was a great athlete, strong competitor and a super guy,” said Bakken who also played with his brother-in-law on the Gust Elevators basketball team. “What he enjoyed most, however, was the camaraderie with a great group of guys.”

Gust, who was inducted in 1990 into the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Sports Hall of Fame, was a basketball forward for the Otters three successive seasons, in 1947, 1948 and 1949. He was football end for three seasons and played first base for the Otter baseball team for FFHS from 1947 to 1949. He participated in track dashes in both 1948 an 1949.

Special high school awards came his way. Gust was named to the National Athletic Honor Society in both 1948 and 1949, was most valuable baseball player for the Otters in 1949 and was a member of the region 6 all-tournament basketball team in 1949.

The 6-foot, 160-pound Gust also participated with summer baseball, playing for Underwood, Dalton and Battle Lake. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in accounting.

Gust was president of the first Quarterback Club established in Fergus Falls in 1976. He served as a member of the Fergus Falls School Board for six years and was a representative on the Minnesota State High School League.

Formerly associated with Gust Elevators in Foxhome as an owner, he was forced into early retirement because of Multiple Sclerosis — a disease of the central nervous system. In his latter years, at Pioneer Home, friends and relatives visited him as well as local athletes and also former Minnesota Twins star Tony Oliva.

Preceding him in death were his father, Paul Gust, Sr.; and his son, David. He is survived by his wife, Dee; children, Dana, Paula and Jonathan; his sister, Joan Bakken; his mother, Marion Gust; and five grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at First Lutheran Church, Fergus Falls. Condolences can be sent online at www.olsonfuneralhome.com.