New and Updated Histories : Wisconsin
Rice Lake
Blue Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
An update of the original BHUUF history published in Part 2
1981–2006
Blue Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (BHUUF) was born one evening at a dinner party in 1980. The Doyles, Thompsons, and Kress-Mansons were lamenting the fact that there was no local church which met their need for the freedom to be together as a family in a setting where their differing beliefs were respected. They were particularly concerned about the religious education of their children.
Karen Kress did some library research and came upon Jack Mendelson’s book, Why I Am A Unitarian. After more research, correspondence, and a visit to a Madison, Wisconsin, Unitarian Universalist church, the three families decided to visit the Bloomington, Minnesota, fellowship to see for themselves what Unitarian Universalism was all about. They traveled to Minnesota Valley UU Fellowship where they met Prairie Star District consultants — Rev. David Phreaner, PSD Extension Minister, and Rev. Beth Ide, Interdistrict Religious Education Consultant — who encouraged them to pursue their dream of beginning a UU fellowship of their own. Rev. Emil Gudmundsen, UUA Interdistrict Representative, helped with the particulars, and after several working meetings they submitted their application to the UUA.
The following spring (1981) the Blue Hills UU Fellowship was accepted into the Unitarian Universalist Association with 12 founding members. First, the children met for religious education and the adults for discussion. For many years, we had more youth in our fellowship than we did adult members. This format stayed in place while we changed meeting places from homes to Deutsch’s art gallery to the NUE building. We developed traditions of family Halloween parties and Christmas Eve celebrations. We had sunrise Easter services and brunch at Thompsons, Thanksgiving services with potlucks, and picnics.
In 1986 we began a long tradition of standing for peace when we tied blue ribbons around our trees for peace in Central America. We hired a quarter-time minister, Rev. Kathy Fuson Hurt, in 1986–87. The fellowship invited Karen Kress-Manson to be their lay leader the following year. In 1989 we held our first Peace Camp for youth, in response to the violence at the boat landings surrounding Native American treaty rights. Peace Camps evolved from week-long youth camp to family-oriented 3-day weekends emphasizing conflict resolution skills.
In 1990 a building search committee was formed, and Karen Kress began her formal training to become a commissioned lay leader. In 1991 the fellowship stood for peace in Iraq before the Gulf War and demonstrated at the recruiters’ offices in Rice Lake. We began meeting every week from September through May, changed to simultaneous youth religious education and an adult format, followed by multigenerational worship services. We also started Second Sunday potlucks. In October 1992 we purchased the Oddfellows Hall on Messenger Street with help from a Prairie Star District Chalice Lighters grant. We moved in November and dedicated our building in February, 1993.
In 1994 Karen Kress was commissioned as lay leader. In 1996 we painted our building and Mary Manson designed the trim boards for the doors and windows. We had our first garage sale, began announcements on radio station WOJB, served our first Helping Hands Christmas dinner, and began meeting 2nd and 4th Sundays in the summer. In 1997 we had our first Coffeehouse. In 1998 we began the rest room remodeling project. In 1999 with help from a second Chalice Lighters grant, we added a ramp for accessibility. In 2001 Randy Mattison built our parade float and we participated in Aqua Fest and Spooner Rodeo parades. In 2002 we added the Peace Garden and Peace Pole. In 2003 Mary Dosch made and donated the stained glass window. In 2004–2005 we remodeled the basement.
Through 25 years we continued a tradition of fine eating — potlucks, brunches, chili dinners, circle suppers, retreats, Helping Hands dinners, and box lunches.