Kirk Kelsey Marchant

April 5, 1955 – March 28, 2026

Kirk left this world peacefully on March 28, 2026, surrounded by family and so much love. He was eight days shy of his 71st birthday.

Kirk Kelsey Marchant was born April 5, 1955, to Roger and Patricia “Patsy” Marchant in Lovell. Kirk was the third of six brothers, including Micheal, Patrick, Kevin, Nick and Cash.  

To know Kirk was to love Kirk, a man of his word, the man, the myth, the legend as some of us would refer to him. Kirk had many accomplishments in his life, but his greatest was first and always his children. 

In 1975 he married Denise Conroy in Hardin, Montana, and from that union Molly and Austin were born. They later divorced. In 1981 he married Laurie Asay in Lovell and gained a stepdaughter, Jennifer. From that union Sarah, Jason and Kail were born. They later divorced, and he married Cheryl Lewis. They later divorced. 

He taught us about values and life, and we will always be beyond thankful for that and all of our memories with him. 

Kirk grew up ranching on Crooked Creek and Dryhead, and along with his brothers and cousins, they lived and learned the ways of the land. That was where he found his true passion for saddle bronc and went on to make a lifestyle of it. He qualified for the High School National Finals in his senior year in 1973, and he won the year-end title in the Northern Rodeo Association in 1987. One year in the first nine rodeos he entered in a couple different amateur associations, he had seven first place finishes and two seconds. 

Kirk spent most of his life in the highway construction industry working for Nicholls & Lewis, Oftedal, Riverside and Wilson Brothers. He was a talented equipment operator and supervisor. 

He didn’t chase easy roads. He respected hard work, lived with quiet strength and carried himself with a kind of honesty you don’t see much anymore. The way he showed up. The way he stayed true. The way he never quit. 

But beyond the boots, the saddle and the ride, he was a father. And that was his greatest role of all. 

There’s a certain kind of freedom in a saddle bronc ride – eight seconds of chaos, balance, trust and heart. That’s how he lived his life, too. Not perfectly. Not without fails. But always with heart. 

Kirk was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Micheal, Nick, Kevin and Cash; and granddaughters Carissa Partridge and Kelsey Marchant.

Kirk is survived by his children, Molly (Taylor) Cox, Austin (Kayla) Marchant, Sarah (Jason) Willette, Jason (Trista) Marchant, Kail (Elizabeth) Marchant; stepdaughter Jennifer (Jeff) Polfer; 15 grandchildren; brother Patrick (Connie) Marchant; many nieces and nephews; and countless friends. He shared a special bond with his cousin Bret Marchant, and they spoke frequently. 

Kirk’s wry sense of humor and sharp wit will be deeply missed by many. The family will hold a celebration of his life later this summer on Crooked Creek to honor him.