Memories
It is with sadness we share that Rev. Dr. Dorothy May Emerson passed away on May 13th, 2019. Dorothy was beloved in her community. Her life and works touched many. Her memoir “Sea Change: The Unfinished Agenda of the 1960s” was published just last year. We are grateful to have this glimpse of her life’s experiences and philosophies written in her own words.
A memorial service for Dorothy took place on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 10:00 am, Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church, 70 W Emerson St, Melrose, MA 02176. All welcome.
Rev. Dr. Dorothy May Emerson * November 20, 1943 – May 13, 2019
Also read A Goodbye to Dorothy from Melody Lee
Rev. Dr. Dorothy Emerson was a semi-retired Unitarian Universalist minister. She and her spouse Donna co-founded Rainbow Solutions to promote socially responsible investing as an important tool for social change and to offer consulting services to support those who want their lifestyles and business practices, as well as their money, to reflect their core values. After Donna and associates have launched Rainbow Investment Solutions, the focus of Rainbow Solutions was on Dorothy’s ministry and publications.
A member of the UUWR core group that revised the bylaws in 2005, after her term Dorothy continued to be a mentor and advisor, and a frequent presence at the UUW&R booth at General Assembly.
Dorothy gave public lectures and led workshops and worship services. She also performed weddings, funerals and memorial services, child dedications, and a variety of other special rituals. She specialized in interfaith ceremonies, personally designed to suit your needs and reflect your values.
Dorothy has edited and published feature articles and books. She also helped create programs to help adults grow spiritually and gain insight into ways to implement their values in daily life.
In addition to her ministry, Dorothy was active in UU and community organizations:
Jane Britton passed away March 21, 2019 from lung cancer. At left is a picture of Gretchen O, Jane and Barbara S at the Asilomar international women's conference. Jane was a very loyal supporter of UUWR and a regular participant in District retreats as well as a close associate of Rosemary Matson and Meg Bowman. She was a member of the UU Church of Monterey for decades.
Elizabeth Fisher says of Jane, She was a jolly sort and well-liked by many. She took a lot of fabulous candid portraits of the church and activist community members and shared them with Rosemary, especially in her later years when Rosemary was not out and about as much. She read a lot. When she was in town between her travels to foreign places we often saw her at the Library, searching for new facts and entertaining fiction. We also would run into her walking along the Monterey Bay. She enjoyed local restaurants, always ready to recommend an overlooked gem. We will miss her.
Jane Britton
Sept. 12, 1945 - March 21, 2019 Pacific Grove
Cakes = Cakes for the Queen of Heaven leader
MSUU = Ministerial Sisterhood UU
UUWR = Continental UU Women and Religion
UUWF = UU Women's Federation
UUWHS = UU Women’s Heritage Society
W&R = Women and Religion
Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley (1949-2006) UUWF
Rev. Jean Lois Witman Gilpatrick (1925-2009) UUWF
Rev. Marjorie Newlin Leaming (1915-2010) UUWF, MSUU 1974 founding member
Rev. Dorothy W. Kimble (1942-2011) MSUU
Marilyn Abbott Gentile (1926-2013) UUWR
Rev. Janet H. Bowering (1930-2014) UUWF, Clara Barton Camp
Rosemary Matson (1915-2014) UUWR, UUWF
Rev. Elinor Artman (1927-2014) Cakes, UUWF
Rev. Dorothy S. Boroush (1925-2014) UUWHS
Rev. Roberta M. "Bobbie" Nelson (1935-2015) UUWF Ministry to Women Award, in 2001
Rev. Christine E. Hillman (1949-2015) Cakes,
Rev. Julie Denny-Hughes (1946-2016) Cakes, coauthored a UUA task force report on clergy sexual misconduct.
Rev. Carol I. Brody (1928-2016) UUW&R
Rev. Joan Kahn-Schneider (1930-2017) MSUU
Phyllis M. McKeeman (1923-2017) UUWF
Rev. Martha L Munson (1953-2017) MSUU
Rev. Beth E. Cooper (1975-2017)
Rev. Bets Weinecke (1936-2017) MSUU, PSWD W&R
Rev. Sarah Barber-Braun (1925-2017) UUWHS
Rev. Katherine "Kay" Greenleaf (1939-2018) MSUU
Rev. Eileen B. Karpeles (1925-2018) MSUU
The Rev. Sarah Barber-Braun, died on December 17, 2017 at the age of 92.
Sarah was born on October 23, 1925 to Dallas Dayton Lore McGrew and Elizabeth Barber McGrew. Born in Tokyo, Japan while her architect father worked there, Sarah grew up in Maryland. She earned her BA in Political Theory and Government from Massachusetts’s Radcliffe College in 1947, then worked for a time as a primary and pre-school teacher. After moving to Missoula, MT and adopting her three children—Paula, Julia, and Daniel—Sarah worked for sixteen years as a self-employed jeweler. A lifelong learner, Sarah also participated in graduate coursework in Education, Art, Political Theory, Women’s Studies, and American Studies. After discovering Unitarian Universalism and heeding a call toward ministry, Sarah earned her Master of Divinity from California’s Starr King School for the Ministry in 1984.
Rev. Barber-Braun was ordained on February 17, 1985 by the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, CA. She first served as an extension minister at the UU Congregation of Erie, PA from 1986 to 1989. Rev. Barber-Braun then served for a year as interim minister at Des Moines, WA’s Saltwater UU Church, before ministering to the First Universalist Society in New Haven, CT 1994 to 1996. Sarah then carried out another interim ministry at the Mattatuck UU Society in Woodbury, CT until 1997. In that year she began serving the First Universalist Church of Southold, NY, ministering there until her retirement in 2002.
The Rev. Elizabeth “Bets” Wienecke, died on December 28, 2017 at the age of 81.
Bets was born on December 22, 1936 in Evanston, IL to Eliza Rittenhouse Wienecke and Robert Henry Wienecke. She married William Gourley Jr. in 1955, and they had three children together: Ann Michelle (deceased,) William, and Elizabeth. Bets graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society; and in 1980 she earned a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology Counseling from California State University, Northridge. She worked for many years as an office manager, a Volunteer Coordinator for the Santa Paula, CA School District, and as Executive Director of the Santa Paula Youth Employment Service. During this time, she married the love of her life, Peter Haslund, becoming stepmother to Melitta and Christina. Inspired by her mentor the Rev. Marjorie N. Leaming, Bets felt a call toward ministry and pursued fellowship with the UUA, earning her Master of Divinity from California’s Claremont School of Theology in 1985.
Rev. Wienecke was ordained on May 25, 1986 by the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, CA. In 1987, she began serving as the Extension Minister to the Live Oak UU Congregation of Goleta, CA, and in 1990 the congregation called Rev. Wienecke as their settled minister. Bets served Live Oak with passion and dedication for eighteen years, and upon her retirement in 2004 the congregation honored Rev. Wienecke as their Minister Emerita.
