Martha Elizabeth (Yurman) Steven was born October 1st, 1919 on a family farm ten miles northwest of Chester, Montana. Her parents were Michael and Ida (Kerbes) Yurman. Martha's maternal grand-mother, Matlia Yurman, being a practicing midwife in the rural neighborhood, delivered her into the world (as well as her two sisters).
Martha was the middle daughter to the Yurmans, who were second-generation Estonian settlers in the area. As a child she attended the local Gruhman country school. Both at home and at the school, Martha and her sisters spoke Estonian prior to learning English. The girls rode ponies to school. One time Martha's pony ran off with the wild mustangs of the Sweet Grass plains, so she took off on foot trying to catch it. Martha and her sisters eventually attended high school in Chester, where they brushed up on the English language. After Martha graduated from Chester High in 1937, she attended college in Havre. It was there she gained teaching credentials and actively participated in the college's literary journal called "Inky Fingers."
Shortly after college Martha taught at a country school near Kalispell. She met her future husband, Rae C. Steven, at the Shelby roller skating rink. The couple was married October 24th, 1941. Soon after they moved to Cincinnati where Rae worked as an engineer, designing components for World War II aircraft. After the war the Stevens moved back to Montana and eventually settled into farming with Martha's parents near Chester. They raised a family of four children and lived in the Chester community for 15 years before moving to the Big Bend Ranch on the Missouri River near Virgelle, where they continued to farm & ranch until retirement.
Martha served as the kindergarten teacher in Chester, then later at the Big Sandy School District. She welcomed everyone into her home in Big Sandy, where she lived with her children during the winter school months. In both the Chester and Virgelle communities Martha was active in 4-H leadership, Republican politics and Lutheran church activities. As a leader of the Lothair Clover Leaf 4-H Club at Tiber, Martha wrote & produced several short plays entitled "Magnificent Baloney" & "The Red-Headed Stranger", which were performed by the 4-H kids on Demonstration Day. Many years later one of these plays was performed again in special tribute to Martha.
Martha also enjoyed reading literature and gardening. She was an active member of the Flower Growers in Fort Benton. Her handmade sculptures of driftwood, stones, flowers, and metal antiques often won high ratings at local fairs. Martha also enjoyed bowling, collecting plates & vases and shopping!
She and Rae spent many summers welcoming their Chester friends down at the river and they always stayed in touch with the Chester community, eventually operating both the Chester farm and the Virgelle ranch. After Rae passed away in 2004, Martha lived in Ft. Benton on Franklin Street, then moved to "The Bluffs" senior residence in 2009. Due to declining health in 2014 she transferred to The Grandview at Benefis in Great Falls. Martha died there peacefully on October 19th, 2015 at the age of 96 years.
Martha had an enormous exuberance for life and enjoyed travelling with Rae in their later years; two memorable trips were to South America and Estonia. She loved to take her daughter's-son-in-law on area road trips to share the scenery & local history of towns & places they visited. Martha will be sorely missed by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends.
Martha was preceded in death by her husband & parents, her older sister (Hilda Broeder), her younger sister (Helen Conrad), her oldest daughter (Martha Rae Steven in 1967), her daughter-in-law (Patricia Steven), and a sister-in-law (Maude Echols).
She is survived by her 2 sons: William "Bill" Steven, PhD, of Stonewall, Louisiana and James "Jim" Steven & wife Carol of Chester; 1 daughter Ida Steven and husband Ray Gonzalez of Lakeville, Minnesota; 5 grandchildren: Rebecca Steven, Sarah Waddell, Lana Rupprecht, Charles Beach, and Samantha "Sam" Steven; 8 great-grandchildren: Abigail "Abby", William, Hannah W., Whitney, Hans, Hannah R., Jaedyn, and Sophia; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Her family would like to thank the kind and generous staff at the Grandview in Great Falls for their loving care of Martha this past year. They also extend their appreciation to the staff at the Fort Benton Bluffs for the kindness & care to Martha during her five years of residency there.
A memorial service will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday (Nov. 19th, 2015) at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. Martha's ashes will be buried at the Chester Cemetery, where she will rest with her beloved family members and in sight of her cherished Sweet Grass Hills. A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall. Arrangements are being handled by the Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester.
