Anne Marie Rust, 48, of Le Mars passed away Monday, April 13, 2026, at her home.
A celebration of life was held Saturday, April 18, at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Burial will be at a later date at Calvary Cemetery in Le Mars.
Anne, daughter of Robert and Jeanne (Sondag) Rust, was born on July 25, 1977, in Le Mars. She attended Gehlen Catholic School and graduated in 1996. She received her nursing education from Western Iowa Tech and earned her bachelor of science in nursing from Briar Cliff College. She was the proud mother of one daughter and a beloved grandmother of one grandson.
Anne dedicated her life in service to helping others in need. She worked as a registered nurse and nurse clinician and served as the infection preventionist and joint commission coordinator at the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. She also had worked as the chief executive officer at the Pride Group of Northwest Iowa, the nurse manager for the behavioral health unit at St. Luke’s-Unity Point Health in Sioux City, and as a paramedic for the Le Mars Ambulance Service. Through her selfless work, Anne provided aid and comfort to countless patients and had an immeasurable impact on the lives of others in her community. Since childhood, Anne very much cared about the world, and by living a life of care giving and compassion, she made it a better place for those who lived in it.
Anne will also be remembered by her family, friends and coworkers for her vibrant personality and her qualities of toughness and tenderness, empathy and authenticity, and love and acceptance. She enjoyed spending time with her many dogs and cats along with playing games of Mahjong and Rummikub with her family. Anne also had a remarkable collection of T-shirts featuring messages close to her heart such as “Equal Rights For Others Does Not Mean Fewer Rights For You” and “When Cruelty Becomes Normal, Compassion Looks Radical.” Likewise, Anne was always on the hunt for stylish eyeglasses and size five-and-a-half shoes to match her T-shirts.
Grateful for being in Anne’s life are her daughter Alexis, son-in-law Joseph Pavlik and grandson Rusty Pavlik, all of Yutan, Neb. She is also survived by her mother Jeanne Rust of Le Mars; sister Amy Rust and brother-in-law Scott Ferguson, and their two sons, Elias and Aubrey Ferguson of Tampa, Fla.; her brother Paul Rust and sister-in-law Lesley Arfin and their daughter Mary James Rust, all of Los Angeles, Calif.; as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Anne was preceded in death by her father Robert Rust; her paternal grandparents, Paul and Lucille Rust; her maternal grandfather Theodore Sondag; and her aunt Susan Sondag.
Because Anne cared so much for her pets and animals throughout her life, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made in Anne’s name to Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue of Sioux City.
