Monte Steiger

Monte Lee Steiger passed away at his Genesee home Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the age of 84.

Monte was born Feb. 28, 1940, at Colfax, to Fritz and Geraldine (Eggers) Steiger.

He was raised on the family farm in the Dusty, Wash., community and attended Colfax schools, graduating from high school in 1958.

He attended Washington State University for a period of time and then enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the Army Security Agency at Fort Devens, Mass. After his honorable discharge he returned to college at Central Washington State College, now CWU, in Ellensburg, Wash., graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in history. He continued his education at the University of Washington, graduating with a Master of Librarianship degree in 1969.

Monte began his career at WSU as a cataloger. He eventually took those skills to Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff. By then he was married with two children. In his neighborhood he served as treasurer of the Kachina Volunteer Fire Department, taught firearms safety classes to young beginning hunters and grew to enjoy the culture of the region. After several years he felt the need to return to the Palouse and was hired at the University of Idaho Library. While at UI he taught library science classes, taught a history honors class as well as serving on many university groups including faculty council, the committee on committees as well as on an ROTC advisory board. He had an open door policy for library personnel as well as students.

Professionally he was a member and active in the Idaho Library Association and the Pacific Northwest Library Association. He retired as Associate Dean of the University of Idaho Library, Professor Emeritus. Locally he served on the Genesee school board and was a member of the Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club.

Monte’s little pleasures in life were a good cigar, a little dram of single malt along with good company and his favorite music.

Fishing mountain streams, his blue canoe on still waters, making custom knives, his Moscow coffee gang, his Colfax High School class of ’58 friends, and Penawawa peaches also gave him joy.

The big pleasures of his life were hiking the Grand Canyon twice, visits to Tibet, the Philippines, Scotland, Curaçao, Ukraine, Germany, India, the Netherlands, and a train adventure from Istanbul to Amsterdam as well as visiting the western U.S. and Canada.

Surviving his well-lived life are his wife of 55 years, Sharon, at their Genesee home; his two children, Jacob (companion, Shannon), of Lenore, and Alexa (husband, Josh Johnson), of Centennial, Colo.; also his beloved grandchildren, James, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, and Elizabeth, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; his two best friends, his brothers Lynn (Doris), of Joseph, Ore., and Clarkston, and Duane (Tarri), of Dusty; several nieces and nephews, cousins and his in-law Canadian cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and infant granddaughter Emma.

Memorial donations may be made to the Whitman County Library, 102 S. Main St., Colfax, WA 99111, or to a charity of your choice.

As Monte wished there will be no formal service. Burial at Dusty and a celebration of his life is to be determined.