Herrig, former librarian, honored Saturday

An influential member of Libby’s history is going to be honored for her work posthumously Saturday in Missoula.

Inez Ratekin Herrig, who passed away Dec. 26, 2004 in Libby, will be honored by Humanities Montana at a reception at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Holiday Inn downtown, along with nine other “Humanities Heroes” from Western Montana that have inspired expanding knowledge.

Herrig was perhaps best known as the head of Lincoln County’s libraries for 60 years. She also was instrumental in getting the Heritage Museum started.

The ongoing effort by Humanities Montana to acknowledge those Montanans who spread the humanities wraps up with Saturday’s event. 

“We’re thrilled to be recognizing Inez,” said Ken Egan, executive director of Humanities Montana. “She was truly a ground-breaking librarian.”

Members of the community wrote in letters nominating various leaders in the humanities, including artists, professors, historians and musicians.

The letter nominating Herrig told of her unique history as a librarian.

“One of my favorite details was that she drove the first bookmobile in the nation in 1956,” Egan said, laughing.

Herrig was born April 30, 1910, to Libby surveyor and pioneer Samuel G. Ratekin and his wife Winifred.

She graduated from Libby in 1926 and studied briefly at the University of Washington before returning to Libby where she served Lincoln County’s libraries for six decades as head librarian.

She married Bob Herrig in 1953 and together the two were responsible for starting the Heritage Museum.