Georgia June Rust Sidars passed away September 27, 2005, of natural causes, at her daughter’s home in Anchorage.  Georgia was the third child of Alaska pioneers Clara Hickman and Jesse Worthington Rust. She was born at home on June 24, 1917, in Fairbanks, Alaska.  When polio struck Fairbanks in the early 20s, Georgia was one of those affected.  She survived it with only a deformed right hand.

Working for the Alaska Railroad, at the Curry Hotel, when she was 18, was her first job for the US government.  She drove commercial truck between Fairbanks and Valdez; lived in the Matanuska Colony for a year; a telephone operator in Fairbanks; the first working US government long distance operator (She received and patched the call from the Aleutians to Washington DC, which informed the US of Japan’s invasion.); telegraph operator; real estate clerk; and head of purchasing on Fort Wainwright, from which she retired.  After retiring, she worked for Alaska Constructors Inc. and RCA, a joint venture to build remote communications sites for the pipeline.

When the federal government sent her to Seattle for training, she met Clifford William Berry.  They were married in Ketchikan, Alaska, in1946 and divorced, in 1965.  In 1968, she married James Sidars in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Georgia was the past president of the Fairbanks Eagles and Pioneers of Alaska Fairbanks Auxiliary.  In 1994, she was the Pioneers of Alaska Fairbanks’ Queen Regent.  After retiring, Georgia began taking painting lessons and, with several of her friends, started the Aklak Art Guild.  Before dementia took away her ability to paint, she was a well known Alaskan artist.

She was proceeded in death by her parents, Clara and Jesse Rust; her sisters, Lila Cox, Cora Saunders, and Elizabeth Aggi; her brothers, Jesse Rust II and George Rust; her husbands Clifford Berry and James Sidars; brother and sister in-laws, Floyd Cox, Pete Snet, Frank Saunders, Barbara Rust, and Helen Rust.  She is survived by daughters, Georgia Berry and Susan Hanson; son, Frank Berry; grandchildren, D’Lila Hanson, Cody Berry-Paddock, and Renee Berry-Paddock; sons-in-law, Randy Paddock and Rick Hanson; and many nieces and nephews.

She was loved by all who met her and she will be missed.  The family is planning a memorial service conducted by the Pioneers of Alaska and the Eagles Auxiliary of Fairbanks, in June 2006 and family reunion, for July 4, 2006, at which time they will scatter her ashes at Birch Lake.