When it comes to being humble, nobody takes a back seat to Betty Merrifield.

When the selection committee called to tell her she was elected into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame last week, Betty didn’t know why.

Betty was elected to the Hall of Fame as a contributor, and no word can better describe Betty. She contributes so the athletes can compete. Whether it has been at speedskating meets, cross country races, road races or track meets, Betty is there to lend a hand.

She says she is just one of many volunteers, but we know better. She is the one who is always there. She has been for decades. It’s just what she does.

In July, Betty will become the third Merrifield inducted into the Butte shrine. She will join her daughter, Liza Dennehy, and her late husband, Charlie. She will also join her brother, the late Jack Whelan, as a Hall of Famer.

All this comes even though girls had no organized sports when Betty was growing up near Clark Park in Butte.

That, though, did not stop Betty’s love for sports. She is at almost every Butte sporting event, including watching her four children and seven grandchildren compete.

Betty also likely announced your name or the name of your children and grandchildren, nieces or nephews while they competed in track meets. Like her husband, Betty is a Butte institution. It is hard to imagine this place without her.

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