Tales of snakes, wild life and mud weren't intimidating enough to keep Betty Lilienthal from packing to "Go West." She arrived in Los Alamos with her late husband James "Jim" and her daughter Meg in January 1947.

A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, Betty was happy to stay home with her children. She got involved with Little Theatre, Light Opera and was President of the Mesa Club, a civic organization in the 1950's.

A favorite outing for the young family was hiking, an activity Betty still enjoys weekly with friends.

Asked to be on the National Parks and Conservation Association Board of Trustees, Betty served on the Board for six years. She organized the first March for Parks in Los Alamos in 1991.

Betty and her dear friend Dorothy Hoard surveyed 1500 petroglyphs in Los Alamos county., a task which took eight years to complete. Their survey is included in a library documenting petroglyphs world wide.

Additional biographical material can be found in the Los Alamos Monitor of April 8, 1999.

Written by Karen Nilsson Brandt, copyright ©