MAUUA history

MAUUA Pioneer , Ben Pease

1923-2004

Ben Pease, Jr. "Takes the Guns from Two Enemy Camps" was born in Lodge Grass, Montana to Ben and Tillie Whiteman Runs Him Pease. Consistent with Crow Tradition he was raised by his grandparents, Ben Spotted Horse and Horse. Ben competed his BS degree in education at Rocky Mountain College in 1947 and a Masters of Education at Washington State University.

Ben married Margery Jordan in 948 and pursued a career in education in Washington and Idaho as a teacher (biology, art, and was a very active athletic coach) and principal. He directed the Black Canyon Youth Camp for the Crow Tribe and established a strong family tradition of scholar-athlete.

In 1966 Ben entered the federal civil service as the Director of the Columbia Basin Job Corps in Moses Lake rising to director of Equal Employment Opportunity for the US Bureau of Reclamation in Boise, retiring in 1984. In the early 1980s he served on the Idaho State Human Rights Commission commencing a long tradition of civil and human rights advocacy. Upon retirement to Billings, Ben served the Friends of Chief Plenty coups Committee, participated in the Big Sky Indian Market, and in the "Not in Our Town" human rights campaign in Billings. He was recognized by the Rocky Mountain College Peace Institute with the Jeannette Rankin Peace Award.

Ben was a member of the Big Lodge Clan and a child of the Newly Made Lodge Clan. From his paternal grandmother, Sarah Walker Pease, he was a child of the Black Cap Clan of the Hidatsa. A practicing traditionalist, he was a member of the Night Hawk Dance Society of Lodge Grass, and served as an official announcer of the Crow Fair, All American Indian days at Sheridan, Wyoming, and many college and university cultural celebrations through the Northwest. Ben was well known for his traditional dancing; especially team dancing with his sons, brother, and grandsons whom he outfitted in full Crow regalia.

Ben became a ember of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, first in Idaho, and upon retirement - in the Billings Fellowship. Drawing on his Christianity, Crow Traditions, and Unitarian principles, his faith, family and friends sustained him through the loss of his son, Joel, and finally through his final illness.

(Back to home page)

A Capsule History of MAUUA:

Although Montana UUs have met informally since the 60's, our current group had its real start in the Fall of 1982 with the arrival/ordination of the Reverend Mary Scriver to serve as a Boston UUA Extension "circuit riding" Minister to the now defunct Great Falls UUF, as well as Helena, Bozeman and Missoula UUFs, one week a month at each. That was called the "UU Montana Ministry". After some transition, and name change to MAUUA, informal yearly gatherings were held most years up to the present. They started south of Livingston at Chico Hot Springs for years, may have had a meeting or two south of Helena at Boulder Hot Springs, then in mid 90's moved to the present Camp Child venue for our fall retreat, except for 1998 at Seeley Lake's Camp Paxson, (and no camp in 1999-2001). Several MDD or locally sponsored workshops have been held at/by various Montana Fellowships over the years as well. There are actual bylaws (last revised in 10/1995), an ad hoc "Steering Committee", a checking account at Heritage Bank, but mostly a structure so undefined that "flying by the seat of its pants" would be an upgrade!

…And of our Member Montana Area Fellowships

Billings (about 80 members) has our UUA Boston national board member, Lyda Adair, as a long time active local and MAUUA member. Billings' biggest local issue was going back to being a lay-led ministry (2004-05) after being in the second and last year of an interim ministry.

Bozeman (about 62 members) moved to half-time professional ministry with the recent arrival of their new minister, Rev Lois Van Leer and her partner. Lois (a long time United Church of Christ minister moving to the UUA) served both in parish and campus ministry for more than twenty years in Western Oregon. The Bozeman congregation has gone back to meeting at the Bozeman Senior Center after meeting in the Jewish Synagogue. They outgrew the Jewish facility & the Senior Center offered more space for Religious Education. They are hoping to move toward both full-time ministry and their own building.

Glacier (Flathead Valley) (about 54 members + many children) It was in the late summer of 1964, about two years after the merger of the Unitarians and Universalists that the Glacier Unitarian Universalist Fellowship came into being. After a long history of struggling with low membership numbers, it is now doing well in a facility they own - thriving with lots of children in religious education, and good a good mix of ages in members. The biggest issue that GUUF is grappling with are growth related issues and the hiring of either part time professional ministry or a program facilitator.

Big Sky (Helena) (About 17 members) struggles with low size, and flow in and out, but has almost a family size for interaction and fellowship. Plus, almost their entire membership came to either/both Sat/Sun at Camp Child, so they got the "BEST Participation" Award for 2003!!

Missoula (about 32 members) has owned UUF house since 1965, and it has been a stable location for the fluctuating membership, now about ½ the size that formed the UUF in 1962. As with many UUFs around the US, it struggles to want to provide the most programs, services, but suffers small size & burnout issues.

Overall then, the total adult UUs in our 5 MAUUA groups is around 250 plus children. So, as a statewide group, we equal about one good medium sized church with one minister, but spread all over the Big Sky Country! Ah, to dream of a 250 member local UU church!!