Vaca was born December 29, 1918, in Braham, Minnesota, and attended Mission Covenant Church there. She received an Associate of Arts degree from North Park College in 1945,and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1950.
That same year, she was assigned by the Covenant to Ecuador as a missionary. While in Ecuador, she married Victor Vaca in 1965.
In 1970, the couple joined the Division of Overseas Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Global Ministries, which is associated with the United Church of Christ. They subsequently worked in Paraguay, Switzerland, and Ecuador. She retired from full-time ministry in 1992, but continued to serve as a volunteer until 2005.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her sister Winifred (Groth) Johnson, and brothers Warren and Charles. She was preceded in death by her sister, Virginia Groth, a former North Park College (now university) dietician.
Messages of sympathy may be sent to the Vaca family at P.O. Box 17-11-4829, Quito, Ecuador.
