Dan E. Vacher, age 88, peacefully passed away in Springville, Utah on Sunday, June 22, 2025 after sustaining a life-threatening injury at his home in Green River, Utah.
He was born January 26, 1937 in Provo, Utah to parents Leon T. Vacher and Reva Peck.
He graduated from American Fork High School where he was a member of the Glee club and FFA; and where he met Gladys Johnson. They built their first home in Alpine before they married on December 11, 1959. Dan was very proud of the house they built in Alpine.
In his early years, he was employed as a gas station attendant. He was drafted into the Army and stationed in Fort Belvoir, Virginia where their first son Zale was born in August of 1961.
Following the draft, they moved back to Alpine. In November of 1963, Desiree was born. He then went to work for Geneva Steel, where he would later retire in the mid-1980s.
In the summer of 1967, they moved to Salem where they purchased a home and 20 acres of apple orchard. Two more children came along, Brad Lee in June of 1969 and Daneen in December of 1972.
Sheep were always a passion of Dan’s, since he was a little boy, after spending the summers with his family herding sheep for his grandfather in the Uintas.
In 1976, he went into partnership with his brother Lee (Sonny) and bought a band of sheep. They grazed their sheep on the Skyline in Spanish Fork canyon in the summer. In the winter, they grazed Painter Spring west of Delta. During spring time, lambing took place west of Utah Lake. Dan and Gladys enjoyed 24 years managing their sheep and especially loved the time they spent on the mountain watching them.
In 1999 and early 2000, they took on a new adventure. They moved to Green River, Utah after purchasing a cattle ranch east of Goblin Valley in Wayne and Emery counties. They lived on the ranch for 15 years, off grid. No electricity or running water. Only returning to their home, “The Blue House,” to wash their clothes and gather supplies for the ranch.
In 2015, Gladys suffered a stroke which made living on the ranch a challenge for them. They went back to Green River and were finally able to enjoy their “Blue House.”
During this time, he kept busy around his yard gardening and raising some spoiled chickens. He would sit for hours cutting grass and alfalfa into small pieces for them and even cooked corn for his chickens on the stove.
Dan enjoyed several hobbies throughout his life; yet, most of them seemed to be work related in some way. He stayed busy building fences, corrals, laying water line, hauling water to his livestock, cutting firewood, and building tree stands. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing and was very much an outdoorsman. He always left something he built behind wherever he went.
Dan is survived by his sister, Candace Rhoades of American Fork; his children, Zale (Susan) Vacher, Desiree (Tony) Esplin, Brad Lee (Shawnee Bradford) Vacher, and Daneen (Dallas) Pierce; along with 16 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Gladys J. Vacher; parents, Leon T Vacher and Reva Peck Vacher; brother, Lee Vacher; and sister, Marilyn Christensen.
Graveside service Saturday, June 28, 2025, 11:30 a.m., at the Elgin City Cemetery in Green River, Utah where the family will receive friends at 11:00 a.m.
Our family would like to sincerely thank the nurses and staff at Stonehenge of Springville and Active Hospice for their kindness, compassion and care of our dad.
Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price and Huntington where friends are always welcome daily and may share memories of Dan online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.