At the Spring 1997 meeting of the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail, Rusti Gardner of Larned, Kansas was presented with the Faye Anderson Award. Rusti has been very active in activities of the Chapter. Rusti was the Vice President in 1997, and is the "1998" President of the Chapter. She has been the chairperson in the food department, with the Chuckwagon Meals that have been served at about every Rendezvous, Symposium and Seminars the Chapter has been involved with.

Along with her many duties in the Chapter, Rusti finds time to do other things. Like the time Rusti & Jack (her husband) repaired the sign west of Burdett, Kansas, that directs the public to Duncan's Crossing after it had been damaged by what looked like a shotgun blast. Rusti also on different occasions has presented an exciting account of the oldest profession in the West, a lady of the night.

Rusti is the kind of person that when asked to do something she will roll her eyes and kind of get that "no not again" look and jump right in, do the job and do it very well. Rusti is one of the real leaders that have made the Chapter what it is today. If there is something going on along the Santa Fe Trail, you can bet that Rusti Gardner is right in the middle of it.

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