Willard Allen Mustain was born April 28, 1941, to Delbert and Ella (Imhof) Mustain in the house where his grandfather homesteaded in 1909, located in the Lone Star Community. Willard’s Aunt Gladys was born there in 1912, his dad in 1914, and his brother Clyde in 1939. Willard grew up on the farm raising cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses, and grew mainly wheat, Hershey, and feed crops. He attended the Lone Star School.
Willard was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War and served stateside from 1963 to 1965 until he was honorably discharged. He then returned home to help with the family farm.
On May 5, 1968, Willard married Carole (Swingle) Mustain in Del Norte, Colorado, and moved there working in road construction. Carole already had a daughter, Wanda, and a son, Arnold, but he was their dad from a very young age. They welcomed three more children: his oldest daughter Angela, second daughter Lois, and his son Clyde. Following his father’s passing, he moved the family back to the Lone Star Community in June of 1971 and worked on the farm from 1971 to 1977.
Willard moved the family to Wisconsin in 1977 and started driving trucks. He then moved to Maryville, Missouri, in 1978, where he remained until the city purchased his property in 1989 as part of the Mozingo Lake project. Willard and Carole then bought a house back in the Lone Star Community in Colorado, just three miles north of where he was born. They were faithful members of the Rock Assembly of God Church in Sterling. He was a Godly man who prayed and read his Bible every morning until the day he passed. He served on the church board, passed the offering plate during Sunday morning services, and was a member of the Gideons.
Willard retired in December 2008 and remained in the Lone Star Community until his passing. He was welcomed into heaven’s gates on August 6, 2026, at his home.
Willard was part of the backbone of the United States, first farming and then serving in the Army and then driving trucks for over 30 years. He worked hard to take care of his family, and family was incredibly important to him. As a trucker, if he was in your area, he would always try to visit. He loved watching his livestock and telling stories about family, friends, and his trucking adventures. He could hold a conversation with anyone whether he knew you or not and loved to laugh. He was a numbers guy who kept birthdates, ages, some anniversaries, and phone numbers filed away in his head, never writing them down until he got older. His favorite social events were family reunions and funerals. He also loved to play indoor games, especially his own version of Rummy. His 6:00 AM phone calls will be dearly missed.
Willard was preceded in death by his father, Delbert; his mother, Ella; his brothers, Clyde and Jerry; his brother-in-law, Cary Dickens; his son-in-law, Tony Cox; and his daughter-in-law, Cheryl Mustain.
He is survived by his wife, Carole; his children, Wanda Cox, Arnold Mustain, Angela Gallegos, Lois Mustain, and Clyde (Tara) Mustain; 13 grandchildren, Steven (Lauren) Cox, Rachel (Timmy) Adamson, Matthew Cox, Ashley Davis, Michaela (Devin) Irsik, W. Keith Davis, Teresa (Brynnan) McCall, Danyale Bears (Andrew Dinning), Erika Bears, Calvin Bears, Kylie (Andrew) Bellott, Madison Mustain, Megan (Bryan) Hahn, and Masi Wells; and 18 great-grandchildren, with one on the way. He is also survived by his sisters, Alice (Rod) McMurray, Fay Dickens, and Connie (Don) Strohmeyer; his sister-in-law, Marilyn Mustain; and his brother, Lawrence (Susan) Mustain.
The funeral service will be held at 10:00 AM on August 22, 2026, at the Rock Assembly of God Church (415 Beattie St., Sterling, Colorado) with Pastor Tim Hazen officiating. Lunch will follow at 11:00 AM, and the burial will take place at 1:00 PM at the Burdett Cemetery in the Lone Star area.