Daniel S. Acheson, 77, of Kimball, died in Scottsbluff on Wednesday, December 28, 2022. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 14th at the Kimball Presbyterian Church with Pastor Alan Foutz officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date. Friends may visit www.cantrellfh.com to leave condolences and stories for the family. Memorials may be given to the Nebraska State FFA Scholarship Fund at https://neffafoundation.org/support_us/. The services for Dan have been entrusted to the Cantrell Funeral Home.
Daniel Stuart Acheson was born in Cheyenne Wyoming on April 22, 1945, the son of Charles and Bernice (Dodrill) Acheson. Dan grew up on a ranch outside of Hillsdale, WY where throughout his childhood he developed his appreciation for what a hard day’s work will provide and a passion for agriculture – a philosophy that Dan carried throughout his life. He was active in 4-H and FFA, loved showing his family’s Angus cattle, and truly relished being on the ranch and all that it had to offer.
Upon graduation from High School, Dan enrolled at the University of Wyoming and his love for agriculture transitioned to college where he elected to major in vocational agriculture education, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degree. During his time in college, Dan met his wife Sherry, and they were married on September 4, 1968. Dan and Sherry moved to Kimball and eventually settled on a small farm south of town where his family was active in diversified livestock, hay, and grain production and where Dan’s love for agriculture and understanding of putting in the work to get the results needed, were passed onto his children. During this time, Dan taught agricultural education and welding, and was the FFA advisor for the Kimball FFA Chapter for 33 years, where he made significant impacts in the lives of countless young people. During Dan’s time in advising the Kimball FFA program, the chapter received several accolades including numerous American FFA Degree recipients, countless Nebraska FFA Degree recipients, and Nebraska State FFA officers. But for Dan, the reward was not in the awards earned, but truly in the lives that he touched. To this end, during his time teaching, Dan served as a mentor and confidant for ag teachers across the state of Nebraska, developing lifelong friendships.
During his early years in Kimball, Dan also became a real estate agent / broker and auctioneer. On any given weekend, Dan and his family could be found working an auction in the area. And while this path is one that Dan pursued over the past several decades, once he transitioned from his teaching career, he further followed these interests, growing his real estate business within Kimball and the surrounding areas.
For those who knew Dan well, they can speak to his kindhearted demeanor, genuine interest in how people were doing, strong work ethic, sincere appreciation for all that life offered to him, and the fact that he enjoyed having fun. For his children, working alongside Dan on the farm putting up hay, building fence, cleaning barns, or working livestock was commonplace for them, as were the many years being together with Dan as part of the FFA program, where several fond memories of their Dad reside. Dan will be deeply missed by his family and countless friends across the tri-state area.
Survivors include sons David (Sarah) Acheson of Raleigh, NC and Dean (Nicole) Acheson of Overland Park, KS; daughter Danell Marks of Kimball, NE; brother Fred (Diana) Acheson of Hillsdale, WY; sisters Judy True of Cheyenne, WY and Linda (Jim) Winjum, of Rapid City, SD and (9) grandchildren – Alex, Emma, Molly, Ethan, Taylor, Ashlyn, Amanda, Hannah and Shannen. Dan was preceded in death by his loving wife of 54 years, Sherry, and his parents.
