Marie H. Steinberger obituary

POLSON — Marie Helen Hoff was born in Forsyth, Mont. to Rex Marvin and Eva Knaur Hoff. Mom started school at Sarpy Creek and attended rural schools until the family moved to a ranch east of Deer Lodge in May 1938. Mom graduated from Powell County High School in 1947.

On March 19, 1948, mom married dad, Robert A. Steinberger. They began their married life in Bozeman, moving to Portland where dad worked for Bonneville Power. In 1953, they returned to Montana and lived in Deer Lodge for 12 years. They moved to Polson when dad went to work for the Department of the Interior.

Upon his retirement in 1984, they returned to Deer Lodge. Mom opened Marie’s Rock Shop in an addition to their home. In 2005, she closed her shop due to failing eyesight. Mom desperately missed her rock hound friends from throughout the country.

Mom was never afraid of hard work; working a multitude of jobs from dishwashing to co-owning Powell County Credit Union, to granting air pollution permits in Lake County.

Mom loved summers at Rock Creek Lake. We can still see her sitting on a rock with her fishing pole. She shared with us her love of the outdoors. She was the quintessential Montana girl: hunting, fishing and camping.

Mom’s many hobbies included gardening, canning and sewing. She loved the jars of canned goods lined up in the pantry in the fall. She also loved sewing all her daughters’ clothes until they reached that fussy age of freshmen in high school. In later years, she liked nothing better than hunting agates with her buddy, Betty Coriell. Mom loved seeing her nieces, Sydney and Marissa McKee, play in the Lady Warden games. The one thing mom wouldn’t do was mow the lawn! Mom did things her way. She taught us “you don’t have to like it, you just have to do it.”

Marie is survived by her husband, Robert A. Steinberger; four daughters: Stephanie, Mia, April and Wendy; one brother, Floyd Hoff, of Helena; three grandsons; one great-granddaughter and many nieces and nephews. On Saturday, mom was reunited with her parents, two brothers, Donnie and Harold, and one sister, Carol.

Services were held at the First Baptist Church with Howard Neckels and David Bluford officiating. Cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Mom’s memory to the First Baptist Church, of Deer Lodge. Jewell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.