Libby man posthumously inducted into Helena Sports Hall of Fame
Elka Wood Western News | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 4 months AGO
Ben and Sherril White in Libby in 1985, soon after they moved to Lincoln County. (Courtesy Photo)
Ben White of Libby on July 13 was posthumously inducted into the Helena Sports Hall of Fame for his role in the 1966 and 1968 O-Mok-See team championships in Helena.
White, who died Sept. 10, 2016, was one of 115 nominees. He joins 109 individuals and 45 teams honored over the years.
White’s wife, Sherrill, of Libby, said she did not hear he had been honored until it was too late to go to the presentation.
“They called my stepson and he went,” she said. “I wish I had known, I would have gone. I even had some girlfriends who were being honored for softball on the same night.”
Although Sherrill did not meet Ben until 1983, when she was the payroll clerk at the Stimson Mill where he also worked, she said Ben had talked about his years on horseback.
“O-Mok-See is a Native American phrase which means ‘games on horseback,’” White said.
Sherril and Ben were married in 1994, and moved around Libby, Troy and the Yaak to where logging jobs took them.
ARTICLES BY ELKA WOOD WESTERN NEWS
Local schools work out impact of federal funding cuts
Troy school district predicts its budget, to be finalized August 5, might decrease by as much as $72,000 compared to last year, while Libby school district expects its budget to change little from last year.
New swinging bridge to be wider, lower and still swinging
The replacement for the beloved suspension footbridge west of Kootenai Falls will still have the familiar swing, officials said at a recent public meeting, as well as various upgrades with safety, cost and character in mind.
Twister seen near Libby likely a dust devil, meteorologist says
Friday afternoon was clear and sunny in Libby when Tim Ekstedt called The Western News at 3:30 p.m. to report seeing a tornado on his Champion Haul Road property.