Roy Y. Gustin, 95, of Centralia, KS, died Sunday, February 29, 2004, at Crestview Manor care home in Seneca, where he had been a resident since August 7, 1990.

He was born October 9, 1908, in the Keats-Manhattan, KS area, the oldest son of Herbert A. and Anna S. Nelson Gustin. He grew up north of Keats and graduated from the Keats High School. Roy played 1st base on the local baseball team and worked at the Keats grain elevator. He was a musician and played guitar, fiddle and drums for barn and house dances. The guitar and fiddle he played were passed along to him by his dad. Drums were his specialty. It was at one of these dances that he met Mary Newman from Centralia, who was to become his wife.

On April 30, 1932, he married Mary M. Newman at Manhattan, KS. Roy worked for several ranches in the Manhattan area as a cowhand and stockman. In the early 1940s they moved to the Centralia area where they farmed and raised livestock on two farms located west and north of Centralia. During the mid 1940s he was the mowing superintendent at Ft. Riley for eight years. He was a very good welder and also taught welding to returning World War II servicemen. He built several of his farm implements, a disk, a listed corn cultivator, and several hydraulic hoist wagons. In the late 1970s he worked for Nemaha County driving a rock truck and working on the road crew. He later worked for the Green Thumb Organization, remodeling and repairing homes.

Roy was a man of various industry. He could do many things and his hands were rarely idle. He continued to play in several dance bands for many years. His wife, Mary, played the piano and his son, Melvin, played the sax with them. He also played the drums with an old time band in Horton and was a member of square dance clubs in Seneca, Corning and Onaga.

His wife Mary preceded him in death on May 15, 1989.

Survivors are a son, Melvin, Seneca; two daughters, Thelma Rose Latta, Marysville, KS, and Kathryn M. Smith, Axtell, KS; nine grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Besides his wife Mary, he was preceded in death by three brothers, Leo, Lester, and Dale Gustin; three sisters, Adrena Johnston, Nellie Johnson, and Minnie Brown; and a grandchild James Robert Smith, August 8, 1961.
Funeral service will be 2 PM Wednesday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. Burial will be in Centralia Cemetery.

Memorials may be given for the First Congregational Church of Seneca or Crestview Manor care home, and sent in care of the family.