Vance Dixon

Vance was born July 17, 1929 in Olathe Colorado. He was the oldest of seven children. During his childhood he lived all over the western slope, his family moving every couple of years as his "old man" didn't stay long in one place. Vance loved traveling through all those little towns on the west slope such as: Bed Rock, Naturitia, Paradox, Nucla, Ouray, Ridgway, Norwood and Placerville. He could tell you where every building was located: the post office, grocery store, the local ranches and the bars.

From an early age he knew the value of hard work and that stayed with him his whole life. He worked on ranches and farms during his youth, doing everything from driving cattle and plowing fields to operating farm equipment.

At 16 he enlisted in the Navy with his "old man's" permission. He was good with his hands, naturally mechanical and requested to work in the engine room, serving on the USS Chilton. During his time at sea he visited places like Hawaii, China, and the Panama Canal. He was a loyal son and often sent money home to his mother to help the family. When his 4 years of service was up, he toyed with the idea of staying in the Navy, but his love for Montrose and the west won out. He found employment driving a dump truck hauling ore at a uranium mine in Uravan Colorado. He would tell you these were some of the best times of his life.

He met Dorothy Meadows at a dance in Ouray and they were married Oct. 23rd, 1953. They moved to Denver and he started his career in the petroleum industry as a truck driver. He had an excellent reputation as a truck driver and loved driving those big Peterbilts & Macs. He was offered a job at Vickers Transport (now Total Petroleum) where he worked his way up to the Manager of transportation, in spite of having a limited education. He knew every aspect of the job and was quick to point that out to anyone who wasn't doing theirs. He purchased the big fuel trucks, he drove the trucks, he maintained the trucks and he scheduled the delivery of gas to the stations. This was all done without today's technology of computers, cell phones and all the other means of making our lives and jobs easier. He demanded excellence in his self and in his employees. He retired from Total Petroleum after a long and successful career.

Vance and Dorothy spent their retirement camping, fishing, going to yard sales, attending auctions, and traveling. They loved Las Vegas, Branson Mo., and visiting their daughter in Phoenix. They also spent a lot of time spoiling grand children.

After Dorothy passed he joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a member of Holiday Hills Community Church.

He was mostly independent for his 82 years, (39 according to him).