Maurice "Mouse" Helterline

photos & story by Lindsey Galipeau

While a mouse is always quiet and

rather shy, very few have written three family histories. Maurice "Mouse" Helterline, 71, has done just that. Though he exhibits the quiet nature of the animal, that is not how he got his nickname. "I used to catch field mice and feed them to the cats," Helterline explains. His brother, David Helterline, can't remember a time when he didn't have the name.

David is one of nine siblings Mouse grew up with on his family’s farm in Plains, Mont. He and the other children were responsible for tasks such as weeding the garden, milking the cows, and bundling hay. The farm is where Helterline lived until he graduated high school and attended the University of Montana to study anthropology.

“Anthropology always comes first for me,” says Helterline. After graduating with his Bachelor’s Degree, he returned to Plains. Though he did not pursue a career in subject of choice, Helterline found an outlet for his interest beginning in the 1970s. His cousin, Donna, had been researching their family history. She passed away before finishing her work, however. Three years later, Mouse “picked up where she left off.”

It was another four years before Helterline’s first book, A Helterline Family History, was completed. Horse Plains, Montana Territory followed soon afterwards and Index to Burials, Sanders County, Montana is the latest installment. A fourth book is on the way, though a completion date hasn’t been set.

Each of Helterline’s books was self-published using a print shop in downtown Plains. They focus primarily on the Helterline family tree, but touch on Plains history as well since the two are now strongly connected.

Maurice Helterline is proud to say he has traced his mother’s line, the Greens, back 24 generations. One ancestor, Alexander, was a royal knight in medieval England. Helterline’s mother and family immigrated to the United States in 1891. They moved to Plains in the 1920s where she met his father.

Helterline says that Plains grew through the railroad and logging industries as well as ranching and farming. The town was originally named Horse Plains, but was changed when a new post office was built. Its population is just over 1,200. “There are a lot more older folks now,” says Helterline.

Besides researching Plains and his family, Mouse has also spent time making driftwood lamps and chests that he’s given to various friends and family. He currently has two of his lamps in his room. One contains carved animal figurines dotting a mountain wood piece. The other sits atop his windowsill, its character held in its many wormholes.

Helterline also enjoys playing Pinochle. Every Saturday afternoon, he and many others play a six-round tournament at the Senior Center. The games aren’t played for the competition. “It gets us out,” says another weekly player, Dianne Walker. Helterline also “gets out” by visiting family members still living in the area. “He drops in a couple times a week,” says nephew Dan Helterline. Mouse’s sister, Peggy, also lives in town.

The whole family, whether still in Plains or not, has made its impact on the area. They brought growth by farming or working at the local businesses. They will continue to do so and Helterline will continue to study them. “It’s what he does,” says brother David.