(Above: Myles Frohling, one of the the many soldiers helped by Big Red Betty's kindness)

When Betty Walker passed away after fighting cancer in February, she left behind a sea of red memories.

To say that Walker, more commonly known as “Big Red Betty from Lincoln, Calif.,” was a Cornhusker fan doesn’t do her justice. Her fanhood stretched from her deathbed in California to Baghdad, Iraq.

Walker was the first person to donate money to Husker Dan’s Army, which helped the founders of the program catapult their simple idea of delivering Husker shirts to troops fighting abroad to the program it is today. Hundreds of troops have received Big Red care packages. And there are more Iraqi and Afghan children who have a Big Red shirts stuffed in their closets than you could possibly imagine thanks to the program.

“If it weren’t for her it would have never started,” said Gary McGirr, the president of Northeast Kansans for Nebraska and one of the founders of Husker Dan’s Army.

Walker’s first donation to the program was $100. And overall she only donated $300, said Dan McGlynn, also known as “Husker Dan.” But her donations were worth more than just the money.

Walker knew she didn’t have a time have a lot of time left, but she gave anyway. And that inspired others to follow suit, McGlynn said.

Today, Husker Dan’s Army is business partners with the athletic department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the RedZone in Omaha. In September, an event called Husker Salute will raise more money for the troops overseas and remember Big Red Betty. The event will be held during the Virginia Tech game at the Cornhusker Marriot in Lincoln.

In 2006, Walker was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was told she had six months to live. But she survived the abysmal 5-7 season in 2007 – and had enough energy to be critical when criticism was deserved – and made it all the way into the Bo Pelini era and even saw the Husker’s victory over Clemson in the Gator Bowl.


“You kind of dreaded calling her because you were afraid she wasn’t going to be there anymore,” said McGlynn, who called Walker every two weeks or so during the last year of her life. “A lot of people are fans, but she could really talk it. She could talk defense, about the coaches, about the recruits.”

Walker also took phone calls from Heisman trophy winner Eric Crouch and former coach Tom Osborne.

“I visited with Betty twice during the last few weeks of her life,” Osborne said in a statement. “I was impressed by her devotion to the Huskers. It’s fans like Betty who have enabled us to have the tremendous support we have enjoyed for so many year. We regret her passing, but honor her memory and thank her for her support.”

Betty was born Nov. 1, 1933 and grew up on a farm in Wolbach. She knew details from Husker games starting in the 1950s, but she had an even deeper passion for things more important than Nebraska football, which is why she gave some of her last dollars to Husker Dan’s Army.

“She understood what those kids (troops) were going through,” McGlynn said. “I think she’s a great American. And that’s larger than her love for the Huskers.”

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