Irving Maxon Max Chase, Jr.

Irving Maxon "Max" Chase, age 84, of currently residing in Bay City, TX who built, owned and operated Point of Rocks Guest Ranch passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. A graveside memorial is planned for Wednesday, March 11th at 1:00 P.M. at the Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston. Viewing will begin at NOON at Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and at 12:45P.M. we will process to the cemetery for service and Veteran's honors a reception will follow at the Emigrant Hall.My life's story,I was born in a farmhouse, on the side of what is now named Chase Road, on June 22, 1935. The farm was one-mile North of I-90 in Post Falls, Idaho and belonged to my parents Max Sr. and Mabel Chase. My parents sold the farm in 1946, and we moved to town in Post Falls. It was there that I attended school and spent most of the summers fishing with my grandparents and parents. On May 12, 1948, Lake Pend Orielle claimed the life of my father and his friend. My mother supported us by becoming the first female rural mail carrier in the state of Idaho.I married Ellen Kiger and together we had two children, Sherry and Debbie. During the day I built houses for a local builder, and at night I worked at Potlatch Lumber.In the spring of 1958, I received a letter from the U.S. Army. I completed sixteen weeks of basic training at Fort Ord in California. From there I went to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where I completed jump school. I was a proud member of the 82nd Air Born Division, until being honorably discharged from active duty in 1960. I then went to work for Mclaughlin Construction Co. as a carpenter and built three bridges at Grant Village in Yellowstone. When the job was done, I went to work for Mcgregor Triangle, building a new bridge over the Yellowstone river at Tower.In February 1962 Carleen Powers and I were married. She had three children: Tom, Kari and Ben from a previous marriage. When the bridge job was complete, I went to work for COP Construction Co. to build a bridge at Burrow Springs. When that job was shut down, I started building what became the Point of Rocks Lodge. The Lodge later became the Point of Rocks Guest Ranch. Soon after, I got my outfitting license so we could take hunters and later fisherman onto the Yellowstone river. In 1987 I was appointed to the Board of Outfitters. I served as co-chairman for four years, and chairman of the board for three. In 1998 we sold the Point of Rocks and built a new home on twenty acres up Rock Creek. Carleen passed away in February of 2000.Later that summer I met Kitty Orr who had two children, Rebecca and Ashley. We fell in love, and in September of 2000 we were married. We spent the next 19 years traveling to places like Fort Peck, and Alaska for fishing and sightseeing. We traveled abroad to the Caribbean, and at last settle in Bay City, TX. All my life I have avidly enjoyed working with wood, building houses, barns, furniture, and whatever else I would think of. I acquired all the tools necessary to accomplish these feats and enjoyed tinkering and cleaning them. Working with wood has brought me the most joy, and it all started with that first job at Potlatch Lumber in 1951. Aside from woodworking I have thoroughly enjoyed hunting and fishing with my family.He is survived by his wife, Kitty (Orr) Chase; brother, Curtis Chase; daughters, Sherry Chase, Debbie Pohto (Dave); stepdaughter, Kari Cunningham Rigler (Ron); stepsons, Ben Cunningham (Susan),Tom Cunningham (Jane); step-daughters, Rebecca Jones (Mike), Ashley Clayton, and 11 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.Memorials are preferred to the donors choice.Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements.