Benjamin F. "Ben" Yates

ROUNDUP - On Sept. 18, 2007, Ben went home to the Lord. He was born on Feb. 26, 1920, in Rockford, Ill., to Benjamin and Beatrice Yates. He was the youngest of three children. He grew up in nearby Belvidere, Ill.
After graduating from high school in 1938, his interest in aviation was piqued and he took flying lessons and became a licensed pilot. At the onset of World War II, he joined the Navy to serve his country after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was deployed to the South Pacific Theater at Guadalcanal, where he served as an Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class. He was very proud of his country and felt very strongly about protecting it. He considered his Naval service his highest achievement. While he was stationed in Shelton, Wash., he met Theodora Helberg. They were married on June 8, 1945.
After World War II, Ben and Teddy moved to San Jose, Calif., in order to be closer to his family. He attended school and worked for Sears Roebuck. He was transferred to Willows, Calif., and became a department head at Sears. In October of 1948, Ben and Teddy had their first and only child, Marguerite.
In 1953, he began working for Bank of America in Willows. He worked there for eight years. In 1961, in order to get away from the crowded conditions in California, they moved to Roundup, where Ben accepted a position with Paris Roberts at the Miners and Merchants Bank. He later worked for the Montana Bank and then transferred to First Security Bank until he retired.
In Roundup, both he and Teddy became very active in the community. Ben was instrumental in the 1974 reopening of Roundup Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home, helping to raise the necessary funds to build and operate the facility and in finding a doctor to set up residency. Ben was also the driving force behind the creation and implementation of the Tri-County Housing Facility. Ben was a member of the Roundup Memorial Hospital Board, the Tri-County Housing Board and the Lion's Club, contributing many humorous anecdotes to the yearly follies.
In his free time, Ben loved his photography and offset printing. These hobbies turned into a business that kept him active during his retirement. Ben earned the respect of many businesspeople and ranchers in the community through his generosity and efforts to improve Roundup. Throughout his life, he also had an affinity for caring for animals. He adopted numerous abandoned animals who would not have survived without his help. He always had a faithful dog by his side.
Ben was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin and Beatrice Yates; his sister, Winifred Yates; his brother, John Yates; and his beloved wife, Theodora "Teddy" Yates. He is survived by his daughter, Marguerite Viig; his granddaughter, Elizabeth Viig, both of Roundup; his nieces, Diane Ginney, Marilyn (Mike) Henriques, Valerie Yates; and nephew Randy (Jody) Yates; and grandnieces and nephews, all of California.
Services will be held on Friday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m., at Wier Funeral Chapel, with graveside services to follow.
Memorials may be made to Rocky Mountain Hospice in Billings or the Rimrock Humane Society of Roundup in Roundup.
Wier Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

This obituary was originally published in the Billings Gazette.