Maxine (Hertel) Steeves

Maxine S. (Hertel) Steeves, 95, died Nov. 13, 2024. Born March 29, 1929, in Fitchburg MA, Maxine was the daughter of Max and Emma (Lamothe) Hertel. After graduating from Fitchburg State Teachers College, she taught in Fitchburg and Leominster. This drive continued later with home tutoring for students and adults with learning disabilities.

In 1952, she married the one and only love of her life, The Rev. Bertrand H. Steeves (save for a lighthearted crush on author A.D. III, which was well known to Bert and the family). Bert died in 2020 at age 94. They were married 68 years.

From 1956–1994, she joined Bert and his calling at the First Religious Society, UU, in Newburyport MA, where she was not just the First Lady but a passionate advocate for justice and civil rights. Here, as the powerful woman she was, she stood by his side fighting against racial injustices, for LGBTQ and Civil Rights, even going as far as to go out in the middle of the night to spray paint over neo-Nazi skinhead graffiti like some kind of ninja for justice. She marched with MLK, Jr. and fostered a small child from Kenya, who grew up to have a large part in South African apartheid.

At home, she hosted dignitaries from across the globe and shared life in a small New England community. In these roles, she maintained her grace, wisdom, and a sense of delightful humor. She was recognized with many accolades including entrance into the Clara Barton Sisterhood, honoring her enduring legacy of courage and compassion.

Maxine and her family enjoyed wonderful summers at their cottage in Fryeburg ME, soaking in its natural beauty and tranquility. She was known to bring English flashcards along on these vacations, much to the dismay of her children. As if that wasn’t enough, she also forced anyone present to play Scrabble (which she always won and knew she would). If you knew the difference between “There” and “Their,” you had her undivided attention. At the age of 72, Maxine became a published author of booklets, “Glimpses of the Past” and “Root and Branches.”

The gift of her life will continue to be treasured by her children: Jonathan R. Steeves, Kathryn W. Steeves and husband Stephen I. Weiss, and Christopher I. Steeves and husband Thomas J. Brewer; five grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. The family will have a burial at Oak Hill Cemetery, Newburyport, in August 2025, where Bert and Maxine will be laid to eternal rest together.

UURMAPA PERSONAL FINANCES ZOOM

RESCHEDULED TO NOVEMBER 21

On Thursday November 21 at 1 PM Eastern (12 Central, 11 Mountain and 10 Pacific Standard Time), UURMaPA is offering our members an hour together with UUA staff who support our financial needs related to retirements funds and investments, insurance programs, and compensation.

We will be joined for a live Zoom by Richard Nugent, Anna Gehres, and Jan Gartner on video. They will offer brief presentations. The bulk of the hour, however, will be responding to your questions and concerns. Pre-registration is required to receive the Zoom link. There is no charge involved. USE THIS LINK TO PRE-REGISTER.

You might want to attend this session if you have a general curiosity about various aspects of clergy financial support and planning: for example, how and why insurance premiums go up, how your retirement funds are invested and by whom, the continuing transition from TIAA to Empower, Medicare supplements, or Benefits Transitions from and out of employment. You might have a specific question arising from your own situation or a story to tell that you think might be helpful for others to hear.

The session will be recorded and made available on UURMaPA’s website. Direct any further inquiries about this session to Wayne Arnason at warnason@gmail.com.

The Rev. Ronald W. Knapp

The Rev. Ronald “Ron” Wayne Knapp died on October 21, 2024, at the age of 90 (1934-2024).

Ron is survived by his wife of 71 years Anne Knapp; his brother Dale Knapp; children John Knapp (Jacki), Kyle Knapp (Gail), Ronda Strimple (Hank), Forrest Knapp, Corellen Allendorfer (Phil)’ brother-in-law Alvin Doerfler (Duffy); sister-in-law Lillian Knapp; nine grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was held on November 9, 2024, at the First Unitarian Church of Omaha, 3114 Harney St, Omaha NE 68131.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Unitarian Church of Omaha NE. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed. It will be published in an upcoming issue of Elderberries and posted on the UURMaPA website.If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them. Please send them to UURMaPA’s clergy obituary editor, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.

The Rev. Margaret A. Keip

The Rev. Margaret A. Keip died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 86 (1938-2024).

Margaret is survived by her husband Fred F. Keip, and her children David Keip, Jeffrey Keip, and Kristen Cunningham.

A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalists of Grant Pass OR in 2025. (Date to be decided.)

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Unitarian Universalists of Grant Pass, PO Box 1602, Grants Pass OR 97528. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.”

Notes of condolence may be sent to Fred Keip, 1700 Kellenbeck Ave., Apt 107, Grants Pass OR 97527.

Monday Worships at Fall 2024 Conference

An important part of our conferences is worship services. This fall, Ned Wight and Anne Marsh will offer an opening worship service tying together lamentation, gratitude, and commitment. Ned and Anne said, “Our Ingathering worship begins with lamentation, for we gather in troubled times and may feel grief, fear, anger, even despair, for ourselves and for our world. But we also know that we are surrounded by love and beauty, hope and joy. We move from lamentation to gratitude, for in so many ways, we are blessed. One of those blessings is being with each other at this conference, and we close with commitment to a world of greater justice and compassion, and also commitment to being present to each other, listening and learning over our time together.” Please join us during the first session on Monday October 21 for this inspiring service.

Another service we offer is one of Remembrance, a reflective time of worship in which we are bathed in the memories of our colleagues who have recently died. It can be terrifying—this unknown part of life called death, but if we cultivate our memories, if we preserve them and return to them often, we will not lose them nor our colleagues.This fall, Charles Stephens will lead us in a service designed to preserve our memories. He said, “It is a privilege for me to lead the service of remembrance for our colleagues who have died since our spring conference. I know you share the deep sense of gratitude that I have for the gifts they gave us and their support of our Unitarian Universalist movement. I am always moved by the meaningful obituary accounts of friends and colleagues who I knew and appreciated. I hope you will join me on Monday October 21 in the evening session and help me remember and be grateful for them.”

These are our colleagues and friends we will honor during the service:

The Rev. Walter S. Jonas

The Rev. Barbara Jean Kulcher

The Rev. Elizabeth “Betsy” Boyd Stevens

Mr. Christopher B. Nelson

The Rev. David O. Rankin

The Rev. Dr. James “Peter” Hughes

The Rev. Dr. Kenneth Torquil MacLean

Mr. David Turner

The Rev. Frances Ann Dew

The Rev. Kent McKusick

The Rev. Robert T. Latham

The Rev. Stanley Robert Stefancic

The Rev. Sylvia Ann Falconer

The Rev. Marjorie Rebmann

The Rev. Dr. Frank W. Carpenter

Ms. Christine Lilly Backus

The Rev. Walter S. LeFlore

The Rev. Robert C. Sallies

Ms. Ann Clark Howe

The Rev. Carl Arthur Hover

The Rev. Patricia V. M. Tummino

Aug. 2024 Board Retreat

July 18, 2024

Watch Parties/Pods for Fall 2024 Conference

The UURMaPA conference in October was available via Zoom or at one of three locations where folks attended the sessions with colleagues and friends. This allowed some face-to-face discussion time as well as opportunities to socialize and exercise tourist muscles. We spoke with the pod organizers at each location to better understand the amenities and attractions of each site.

Seabeck, WA
Jaco and Barbara ten Hove hosted the third consecutive Fall pod at the Seabeck Conference Center, about an hour west of Seattle. They said, “The Seabeck Conference Center on the Hood Canal has incredible views of the Olympic Mountains, an excellent campus with modern comforts, and nine delicious meals (and we don’t have to cook or clean up after ourselves). For three nights over four days, 30 retired colleagues and partners got to share meaningful face-to-face discussions, take walks and laugh together, and participate in the virtual conference on a large screen.”

Two photos of the assembled group at Seabeck are HERE (annotated with names) and HERE (a “crazy picture”).

Call Jaco ten Hove for more information, 206/200-5403, or send a message to jbthishere@gmail.com .

Wilmington, Delaware
Another pod was to be in Wilmington, Delaware, but had to be cancelled. Richard Speck, the organizer, is justifiably proud of Wilmington. He writes “The world famous Longwood Gardens bring people from all over the world. We also have Winterthur, a large museum dedicated to the American arts of furniture and collections of fascinating objects. The Brandywine River Museum of Art, the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science are all nearby and easily accessible. There is much colonial-era history to explore, including Valley Forge and the Brandywine Battlefield.”

The First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, Delaware will host for both large presentations and small breakout groups. You might consider bringing a laptop or tablet for use during the breakout sessions. The church has a strong wi-fi signal throughout the building.

The church is about twenty miles south of the Philadelphia airport. Hotels are located 1-2 miles from the church. Some shared meals will be at the church with opportunities to go to area restaurants. Where possible, we will offer transportation from either location and from the church to the hotels.

For more information, write Richard Speck, rgspeck@comcast.net or call him at 302/239-6286.

Kingston, Massachusetts
If you live in eastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island, you might have made a short Drive to Kingston, MA, where another pod was organized by Judy Campbell. Why go to Kingston? Judy says, “First is to see and hug one another in person after several years of online conferences. Secondly, there are major attractions within an easy drive of the church. Coastal Massachusetts, Kingston and Plymouth, have any number of historic, and cultural attractions, not to mention some wicked good restaurants. The views of the harbor and ocean are stunning. Here is just a short list of attractions to tempt you to come:”

Go to www.Seeplymouth.com The official tourism site of Plymouth County

The Pilgrim Hall Museum offers outstanding early colonial history and a Wampanoag history and culture collection. Go to www.pilgrimhall.org

The Plymouth Guild for the Arts is a museum of local artists and features an elegant gift shop. Go to www.artsplymouth.org

Plimoth Patuxet is the oldest town in New England and their living history museum is fascinating. Go to www.plimoth.org

We met just a few miles north of Plymouth center at the First Parish Church in Kingston. More information is available by visiting www.kingstonuu.org The website has everything you need to know about the location and has a map, directions to the church, and pictures of the buildings.

Contact the organizer, Judy Campbell, at 781/422-6519 or 508/939-1391, or send a message to revdocmom@comcast.net

Waverly, Ohio
Nestled on 133 acres in the scenic hills near Waverly, Ohio, Bristol Village was the site of our 2024 Fall UURMaPA Retreat. We invited folks to join us for a laid-back retreat with no nearby 5-star restaurants, theaters, night clubs or loud music to entice you to leave the Bristol Village Campus.

We stayed in cottages with bedrooms, private and shared bathrooms, full kitchens, dining rooms and comfortable living rooms. There was a restaurant where you may have had breakfast and lunch, a swimming pool, walking paths and lots of private space.

The cottage where we met has two comfortable meeting rooms, a full kitchen, dining area, a pool table, and a large television screen for easy conference viewing.

For more information, give Sylvia Howe a call at 978-317-0013 or send a message to her: sylhowe42@gmail.com

Meadville Lombard Collecting Odysseys

A Message from Fred Wooden — September, 2024

Colleagues,
*****Most of us are familiar with the custom of inviting comrades to share their personal ministerial journey in what has been called an Odyssey. For many of us this is the highlight of our meetings. But owing to limits of time only a very few are able to share their stories aloud.
*****All of us have a story to tell, though.
*****After inquiring of the folks at Meadville Theological School, of which I am an alum, and due to improvements in information technology, they have agreed to accept and store all our ‘odysseys’ to serve as first person histories of the work we have done.
*****Tell your story, just as you would in person, in a document. To make it easier to index and catalog, it must be sent in PDF form and ideally be no more than 5000 words. You must fill out a form permitting ML to hold and share it, linked HERE, which will serve as a record of your contribution. Needless to say, our ethical obligations apply to what we write.
*****No course or book can equal the insight and value of how we faced ethical, institutional, and spiritual challenges. We are also each a witness to history in the making. These deserve to be recorded and remembered.
*****To take part, download and fill out the form, then submit it with your PDF Odyssey to the email address on the form. Your story matters more than you know. Please take part.

UUA/UUMA Community Organizers Join our Fall 2024 Conference Theme Panel on UU CATALYTIC SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

Our UURMaPA Fall Conference theme for 2024, “Generative Eldering and Democracy’s Future” is responsive to the present critical moment in the story of American democracy. We are guided by the reflections of Dr. Sharon Welch in two of our three theme panels, along with reading together her book After The Protests Are Heard.

We are pleased to announce that our third theme panel on Tuesday October 22 (4:30 Eastern, 3:30 Central, 2:30 Mountain, 1:30 Pacific) will feature three UU clergy who are community organizers deeply involved in our faith-based efforts to reclaim and redeem what Dr Welch calls “the soul of democracy.”

Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson serves as the Executive Director of UU Justice NC, the UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina. In her ministry, she has the pleasure of organizing UU congregations across the state to powerfully contribute to the movement for justice through spiritual grounding, joy, imagination and partnership. Her work spans racial, economic, immigrant, environmental, LGBTQ, and electoral justice, and more. She is an affiliated community minister of the Community Church of Chapel Hill NC

Rev. Cathy Rion Starr is a queer & gender queer white minister, organizer, and parent of two amazing kiddos. Cathy coordinates Leadership Development on the Side With Love staff team at the UUA (formerly the office of Advocacy & Witness) and is married to Rev. Heather Rion Starr, the settled minister of the UUs of Southern Delaware. Cathy serves on their Small Town & Sidewalks committee and the Delaware Working Families Party State Committee. Cathy brings a passion for relationship-building, strives to hold complexity and contradictions honestly, and seeks more spiritually grounded justice work.

Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons has been an organizer with and President of DRUUMM, a People of Color ministry in Unitarian Universalism. He has previously served as Executive Director of APANO, Oregon’s oldest and largest Asian Pacific Islander advocacy group. His most recent and exciting project is the $20 Million Mixed Use Affordable Housing and Cultural Center in East Portland. He currently shares time between the Pacific Northwest and the Philippines with his family. He works remotely on campaigns and special projects and directly in the Asia-Pacific region with civil society organizations.

The panel will discuss their experiences with the gifts and challenges involved in elder activists engaging with catalytic social change. Rev. Wayne Arnason will act as moderator for their conversation. Go HERE to register for the full UURMaPA Fall Conference October 21-23.