About daniel
Daniel Wyatt Spitzer
August 10 th 2003- July 4 th 2022
In the words of Red Steagal, “Daniel Wyatt Spitzer was a cowboy”. That’s all he ever wanted to be. Daniel was given a gift of communicating with horses and he made that his passion. From an early age Cowboy Dan was wearing his cowboy hat and after a few short lessons from me, he mastered the art of roping by direct application. No sister, dog, or cat was safe from his rope. I still remember the day he trotted down the road to the neighbors to drag calves, it was his first time to make day wages for someone other than family. He was 10 years old I believe. Fast forward 4 years and Mama was waving goodbye as he headed down the road in the pickup he had bought with his horse in tow to spend a week dragging calves at a ranch an hour and a half away.
Daniel was the light hearted, big smile guy making everyone laugh. He encouraged and pushed everyone to find their limit, sometimes by making you face your fears but mostly by telling you to keep up with him. You always knew Daniel would be in the middle of the action and trying to outwork everyone. He had a tremendous sense of patriotism and he valued cowboy tradition. He had a
confidence and personality that just drew others to him. Even as a young boy he could speak to men and they valued his opinion. I have several memories of adults seeking him out to talk to him. Not many teenagers get seen as equals in the branding pen, it was amazing to watch him rope and handle a horse.
The accident that took Dan’s life took us completely by surprise and changed our lives forever but the details didn’t really take us by surprise. He crossed over to the other side having fun with his best friend while pushing things to the limit. The support and love from our family, friends, and community was
amazing and sustained us through and continues to carry us on. The pictures and stories shared have been a bright spot in a dark time and gave us peace knowing he meant so much to so many. Daniel made huge impact on those around him in his short 18 years. He had lived a short life but man did he live a life filled with intention and purpose. One of his wishes if anything ever happened to him was that his organs would be donated. We were able to honor his request. So Daniel Wyatt Spitzer lives on helping others to live and the inspiration his life gave to so many.
