Vernon Hilstad

Vernon "Vern" Joseph Hilstad, 87, of Vernal UT, passed away on August 15, 2025.

Vern was born on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota to Selmer and Helen Hilstad, the oldest of six children. Growing up during the Great Depression made for a hard childhood.. At a young age, Vern was often responsible to help run the family farm and look after his mother and grandmother Plouffe, while his dad was away working.

At just 14, Vern drove Grandma Plouffe and younger brother all the way from Minnesota to California when the family relocated to Burnt Ranch. Along the way, he forgot to put the car in park, sending it rolling down a hill with grandma and brother still inside - an adventure that ended safely but became one of his many legendary stories.

Vern never stopped collecting those stories. His tales of dynamite fishing mishaps, being chased by a walrus (while in snorkeling gear), and even an alleged Sasquatch encounter were retold with a twinkle in his eye.

At 17, Vern enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the USS Shangri-La in the Far East. When he returned, he met and married his first love Jan in Grass Valley, California where they started a family.

Vern worked hard his whole life - working on farms, cutting timber, working on the construction of the Hoover Dam, and driving semi trucks across the country. He even helped roof Frank Sanatra's home in Lake Tahoe! One of his proudest moments was buying a brand-new Freightliner and starting his own trucking company..

Family was always Vern's greatest pride. He loved his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren fiercely. He also loved motorcycles, working with wood, country music, painting, hunting, fishing, and of course, spinning a good yarn. His life wasn't always easy, but it was full of love, laughter, and just the right amount of hell-raising.

Vern was preceded in death by his third wife, Linda; his parents; a brother and two sisters; a Nephew, his grandson-in-law; a great granddaughter; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He is survived by his first wife, Jan; his son Tod (Lisa) Hilstad of Hood River OR; his daughter Tammy (Cort) McKee of Vernal UT; four grandchildren; three bonus granddaughters and nine great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the caregivers at Naples Beehive Home and the Canyons Hospice team for their unwavering compassion and kindness.

If there's a truck stop in heaven, you can bet Vern is already there - Drinking Coffee, flirting with the waitress, swapping stories, tapping his boots to country music, and making everyone laugh. We sure miss you Dad.