Our Story

Stephanie moved to the Cornhusker State in the fall of 2013 for a career opportunity in the beef industry, settling in Kearney, Nebraska. Justin, a native of Wood River, grew up just east of Kearney. You could say they met on a double date — though not in the traditional sense.

The Night It All Kicked Off

Through work, Stephanie met Jackie, who had also relocated to central Nebraska from Minnesota for her career. Coming from similar backgrounds, they became fast friends and started hanging out more. Jackie had recently met Derek, and when he invited her to a Super Bowl party, she asked Stephanie to come along. By nature, Stephanie wouldn’t let Jackie go alone — you know, stranger danger. The guys, being real gentlemen, picked up the girls at Jackie’s house to head to the Super Bowl party.

It was Super Bowl Sunday in 2015. Neither of the girls were big football fans; they were simply hoping to meet new people, as they were both still fairly new to the area. That weekend, a classic Nebraska blizzard rolled in — cold, windy, snow, and the interstate shut down for a bit. It turned out to be a memorable night for a lot of reasons — sure, the Patriots beat the Seahawks, but more importantly, both guys met the women they would one day marry. And if you ask Stephanie, she’d tell you she let a Polish gal lead her astray that night.

Should’ve Kept Quiet About Calving Experience

At the time Justin met Stephanie, he was just about to start calving season. Not long after the Super Bowl, he speculated on a group of bred heifers out of Ogallala. It didn’t take him long to figure out Stephanie knew a thing or two about calving cows — let’s just say, Justin took note. One thing led to another, and before long, Stephanie found herself on night check duty.

Let’s just say Justin got the better end of the deal — cows calved and one very useful girlfriend secured.

Building a Life at the Jewell Place

Things really started to take shape the year Justin rented the Jewell Place. It was a big step — his chance to go out on his own and build something from the ground up. What neither of them realized at the time was that this place would become home.

Dave and Jill Jewell offered Justin a rare and generous opportunity — the kind of chance that doesn’t come around often. Justin moved his cows and equipment to Kilgore Road that year. In 2020, Stephanie moved her cows from Illinois to join the herd, officially making the operation a team effort (and making hauling panels a two-person job from there on out). They are both incredibly humbled and grateful to carry forward what Dave and Jill built and to make it their own.

The Proposal

Justin proposed under a willow tree in the south pasture, with their cow-calf pairs all around them. How that worked out in Justin’s favor, who knows. Stephanie thought they were just checking pairs before heading to Lincoln for a birthday weekend — nothing out of the ordinary. She looked up to find Justin pulling a ring box out of the four-wheeler toolbox — just nestled in there with some fence insulators, wire, and a pair of fencing pliers.

S&J

Reception

6:00 PM–12:00 PM

Reception