A group of Choteau community members are launching a benefit for the Mark Major family that will include raffles of a rifle, donated by his family, and by prize baskets or boxes donated by community members, civic organizations and businesses.
Mark died unexpectedly on Oct. 8, 2021, from a heart valve infection. He was only 45 and left behind his wife, Carolyn, and their four children, Rebekah, Katie, Jacob and Andrew.
Mark’s life centered around two things: family and service. Moving to Choteau in 2006 as the new Montana State University Extension agricultural agent in Choteau, Mark began impacting lives through 4-H, working with countless farmers and ranchers and dedicating many hours to developing leadership for the shooting sports 4-H project club.
He was also an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving a two-year mission and as the bishop of the Choteau LDS Ward from 2012-2018.
Mark was a tireless advocate for children, volunteering as a teacher for his church’s Young Men’s program, working with the local Scouting program, serving on the Choteau Education Founda-tion Board, volunteering with 4-H and was part of the Choteau High School football team “chain gang.”
After Mark left Extension, he opened Broken Arrow Insurance in Choteau and Great Falls and was a broker for the Horace Mann Educators Corporation until his death.
In 2017, Mark was elected for his first four-year term on the Choteau City Council and he had been reelected to a second term shortly before his death.
Mark’s death has had a big financial impact on his family. His pre-existing heart condition meant limitations to his insurance coverage and therefore present and future financial family needs remain great, according to benefit organizers.
“We know the community continues to think of Mark and his family and desires to help,” or-ganizers said in a press release. “With that desire, a few of us have informally organized with the purpose of creating a means to empower the community to provide additional financial benefit to the Major family — small contributions by the community, will make a big difference. After considering various ideas, two raffle benefits have been selected.”
Proceeds from the raffles will go into the Mark Major College Fund, established to help Mark’s children attend the college of their choice. Three of the children, Rebekah, Katie and Jacob, have graduated from Choteau High School while Andrew is still in school here.
The rifle being donated is a Christensen Arms Titanium Ridgeline 6.5 PRC that comes with a Leupold 3.5-10 VX-3I with CDS and ammunition. Tickets are $20 each or six for $100.
Mark purchased this rifle in the summer of 2021 for an elk hunt in the fall, a hunt he was never able to go on. For more information on the rifle, contact Jason Asselstine at 406-750-1342 or email him at jasonassel@yahoo.com.
Those purchasing raffle tickets must be at least 18 years old and eligible to own a firearm. An-yone paying with a check should make it out to Mark Major College Fund.
Tickets for the raffle prize items will be $10 per ticket or $50 for six tickets. Several raffle baskets and items have already been donated and anyone interested in donating a raffle basket or box should contact Chris Evensen at 406-750-1275 or by email at chris.evensen@arcadis.com.
One major donation to the benefit is a one-day guided fly-fishing trip for two guests on the Missouri River in Montana with Headhunters Fly Shop, donated by Mark’s Horace Mann professional colleagues.
Choteau Elementary School has donated two baskets of children’s books and toys. Other or-ganizations donating baskets are: Old Agency 4-H Club, which has made a Montana-themed basket; Challenging Champs 4-H Club with a Teton County-themed basket; the Eager Eagles 4-H Club with a breakfast-themed basket; Ben Wombacker, wind chimes set; city of Choteau gift basket; LDS Relief Society, barbecue basket; LDS Elders Quorum, two cords of pine wood, chopped and delivered; and LDS Elders Quorum, rifle scope, sling and gun case; Lindsey Evensen, facials.
Other’s planning baskets are various Choteau High School organizations and sport teams, Boy Scouts, the Choteau Education Foundation and the Teton Antique Steam and Gas Engine Association.
Raffle tickets for the rifle and other prizes are available from Choteau Mayor Chris Hindoien, 2 Buck’s Inc. real estate office (John and Laura Buck) and from members of the fundraiser committee, including Jane Wolery, Asselstine and Chris Evensen, Rhea Brutosky, Connor Hodgskiss, Madeline Konen, Vonnie Jacobson and Roxann Evensen.
Tickets will also be sold during the Teton County 4-H Fair, June 22-25 in Choteau, at the Choteau Soroptimists Summer Festival in the Choteau City Park on July 3 and outside the Choteau Rodeo Grounds during the American Legion 4th of July rodeo. The drawings will be held on the day of the rodeo at 4 p.m. and ticket holders need not be present to win.
Cash donations can be made at Opportunity Bank of Choteau for the Mark Major Family Benefit.
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