With Drury Award, Gary Rust shows that hard work and kindness matter

I'm proud to call Gary Rust my father. No one is a stranger to him. He celebrates all people, but especially those who apply themselves to improve the world around them. He is loyal, hard working, playful, generous, insatiably curious, loving and visionary. On Thursday he was recognized by the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce with the first-ever Drury Family Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award.

Listening to Chuck Drury read some of his accomplishments -- and hearing Drury describe his local impact -- tears welled in the eyes of my 84-year-old father, and he reached to put his hand on his wife's shoulder. Together, they have achieved much, and throughout the journey, the mutual respect and adoration carried between them have been a source of strength and joy, even after tragedy has struck, including the death of their first child in a Thanksgiving eve car wreck that also cost the lives of his wife's father and sister and badly injured her mother.

When he reached the podium to accept the award after Drury's glowing remarks and a brief video featuring comments about him from former Sen. Jack Danforth, Local Media Association President Nancy Lane and former Cape Girardeau mayors Jay Knudtson and Harry Rediger, this is what he said.

Remarks by Gary Rust

"It's like being at your own funeral," he joked.

"I'm really honored to receive this award. I have such a high regard for the Drury family and what they've done. They are some of the great entrepreneurs in this area and the state and, actually, the whole Midwest.

"Here with us tonight is a guy I think the highest of, and that's Charlie Drury. Give him a round of applause.

"Charlie and I, incidentally, have something in common. We both married Central High School cheerleaders around about the same time. Shirley Drury and my wife Wendy.

"We also have something in common, our fathers didn't go to college. My father quit high school his sophomore year. It was during the depression, so he could get out and make some money. We all learned to work and were Christian families, the Drury's and Rusts. We worked, we made mistakes and we learned from them.

"I started, and they mentioned it on the video, I hadn't seen that. I certainly hadn't seen Harry Rediger and Jay Knudtson try to say something nice about me.

"I started in business at Rust & Martin with my two brothers, and the three of us didn't know much about furniture, but we worked hard. We made mistakes, and we learned. After a couple years we were recognized as the outstanding home furnishing store in the country in a population under 50,000. Then I got involved in some political activity and got my education in a lot of things. I ran for Congress in this district and lost. It was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me.

"You win by losing every once in a while.

"While I was running in the 10th district I visited most of the newspapers throughout the district, and I saw how important the newspapers were to their communities. So I came back and saw we had a little weekly newspaper for sale in Cape Girardeau. I borrowed $15,000 from my father. I had no money.

"I bought the newspaper and the rest is history.

"I hate to make mention of this, but I retired about 12 years ago. You probably didn't know that, 'cause the newspapers ran so well without me I didn't want to tell anybody. Co-presidents Jon Rust, Rex Rust with Rust Communications here this evening and their brother Gary with rustmedia have been making all the decisions. And I think they've done a wonderful job. Give them a hand.

Holly Rust Payne

"It would be hard for me to name all of the key employees that helped me and our firm get along. There would be too many to name and I'm afraid I'd not mention one and there were so many. But there was one that I do want to draw attention to, and it's my first circulation manager. You might not think that's an important job. But you can print the paper and report the news, but if it doesn't get out to the people, it's not worth much. My first circulation manager was the mother of my seven children, Wendy Kurka Rust.

"I love you Wendy.

"She, incidentally, was the Missouri Mother of the Year 30 years ago and went on to become one of the national finalists for that. You might not have realized that.

"She's always embarrassed when I say that. So, I'm in trouble.

"Some people say that you can tell a good community by if they had good churches, if they had good schools and if they had a good newspaper. But it's also a great community like Cape Girardeau, which not only has those, but which has great hospitals, great businesses, great people, a great college, and a great... Drury... Hotel! Thank you very much."

Afterwards

Working his way back to the table, after a few pictures on the side with dignitaries, his hands shook, and he walked slowly. Sitting down he reached out again to his wife. He told her, he had a couple other items he meant to say and they were his "best lines." My mom squeezed his arm and told him, "Gary, you did perfect. Nothing more was needed."

They were both happy. On Thanksgiving day, they will celebrate their 64th wedding anniversary.

It was a remarkable night for the Cape Chamber with the Drury and Limbaugh awards, Gary Rust and Earl Norman. In a season of thanks, there is much to be grateful for, not least these community leaders. God bless them and our community.

Jon K. Rust is publisher of the Southeast Missourian.

Front row from left, Charles Drury and Gary Rust. Back row from left, Shirley Drury and Wendy Rust.Gary Rust II