Max Van Voast

Max Van Voast passed away peacefully on July 18, 2013. He was born May 21, 1923. He was one of the last true American Cowboys who ranched in the Highwood Mountains for his lifes work. He raised cattle and pitched hay until he was 85. He lived life to the fullest and fishing was his favorite past time. His nurse said it best in that he lived life as if he were 60, until a heart attack in November followed by a 2nd six months later that seemed to age him 30 years, time had finally caught up with this cowboy. Max enjoyed restoring cars and creating wood tables from juniper trees, delivering them across the country in earlier years. He had an artistic eye and was very creative with wood, even making exotic wood dashboards for some of the old trucks he restored. His last project was an old 60s boat he completely refinished, adding pieces of precisely fitted mahogany here and there.Max was raised in Geraldine along with his brother, where he completed high school and joined the military. He loved Montana and returned after four years. He always said, for as harsh as Montana could be, it always made up for it in the spring. He had just been fishing a few weeks before his death and celebrated his birthday with much of his family in May. He leaves behind his wife, Jennie; daughters, Lisa Stenzel and Lora Messerly; sons, Gary, Ron and Cody; 11 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; a special boy Eli; a girl Tes; his brother, Roger; and fishing partner, Doug. He was preceded in death by his parents, Beulah and George and first wife, Lois.At his request there will be no services. Cremation has taken place.