Ben Olien, Mott, passed away November 24 at his son David's home in Wichita. His son Tom, daughter Cindy, daughter-in-law Deb, son-in-law Pasco, and grandchildren were also with him. Ben was born in Mott at the nursing home operated by his mother Margaret (Phillips) Olien, and lived in Mott until 1944, when the family moved to New Leipzig. Ben went to school there from 4 grade to high school, graduating as president of his class. He was active in Boy Scouts, working summers from 1950 to 1955 as a counselor at the Scout camps on the Heart River in Taylor and on Heart Butte, including being the waterfront director the last three summers. He was an Eagle Scout and had his first statewide elected position when he was president of the Order of the Arrow Council for North Dakota in 1956. He attended UND, graduating in 1958 with a degree in geological engineering. Part of his training was a summer job in 1957 working for National Lead in the Adirondacks, in a mine and company town that are both gone now. He was drafted into the army in 1958, sent to DC, and assigned to the Corps of Engineers. His group was given some of the training for Navy frogmen, because the frogmen used the analyses his group generated. Everything he did was secret or top-secret military intelligence, so he seldom talked about his experiences. While in DC, he met Pat Holmes, whom he married August 31, 1959, at her grandmother's home in West Virginia. After his discharge from the Army, he worked at the Lincoln Mercury division of Ford Motor Company, until he moved back to Mott in March of 1963 to join his parents in Olien Auto Implement Company. Upon his return to Mott, Ben immediately became active in community groups. He was on the golf course board by April and served there for 28 years. From 1967 he served on the Mott Rural Housing board, which built apartments in 1968, and on main street in 1974. He and Pat helped reorganize the Mott Jaycees in 1964. He held local and state offices with them, becoming state president in 1970. Strong backing from the Mott chapter facilitated that. He was also active in the Masons, the Mott Chamber of Commerce, the Booster Club, the Fair Board, and the Republican Party. Ben served as Mayor of Mott from 1978 to 1990, representing small town concerns with the League of Cities, of which he was state president in 1982. He helped organize the M. O. T. T. group, for whom he did youth hunting, gaming, and even dealing blackjack, and served there until his death. He also served as Scoutmaster for the Mott Boy Scout troop, taking them on many camping and hiking trips, and seeing both his sons and his nephew earn Eagle. He worked with his parents and his brother Byron at Olien Auto until the franchise was terminated, and the business closed in 1993. He then retired to fish and golf, spending winters in FL, TX, and many trips to Mexico with Mott friends. Ben was first diagnosed with cancer in 1974 and had been fighting it ever since. His many bouts with it earned him the nickname "the comeback kid," but he never let it slow him down. It finally got bad in 2021, with a very aggressive variety that metastasized to his bones and brain. Chemotherapy was able to slow it down enough that he was able to get some time at the lake boating and fishing. Ben was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Pat, his sister Phyllis, and his sister-in-law Barbara. He is survived by his brother Byron Olien, brother-in-law John Verworn, son Tom (Robin) Olien, daughter Cindy (Pasco) Avery, son Dave (Deb) Olien, and grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held in the spring of 2022 in Mott, ND.