Growing a Good Life in Phelps County

In the 1980s, John and Michelle Williams were teenagers growing up in Phelps County. Their days were filled with sports practices for the Loomis Wolves and Holdrege Dusters, working part-time jobs, and hanging out with friends.

Today, John and Michelle are successful business owners of Ag Service Associates and recently celebrated the opening of their beautiful new office on 14th and Burlington.  

They are two, of many, Phelps County residents who are thriving where they started.

Growing up in Phelps County

Michelle attended Loomis High School, where she participated in many sports, music, and 4-H. Once she turned 14, she started working full-time every summer. She always wanted to be a teacher, and in Loomis, she had the opportunity to help in elementary classrooms all through high school.

John attended Holdrege High School and was involved in sports, band, and served as student council president.  

“I was involved in everything I could be in high school,” John said. “That was the norm in the 80s - to be active in all the high school things.”  

John was originally interested in studying engineering after high school, but he changed directions after meeting and working for Phelps County agronomist Rich Krohn. That’s where he found his ultimate career path.

John and Michelle started dating in 1986, and they both graduated from high school in 1988 and attended college in Lincoln. Michelle earned a degree in education with an emphasis in special education from Nebraska Wesleyan University, while John earned a degree in agribusiness and agronomy from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.  

They married right after graduation in 1992, and they agreed that Phelps County would be their home.

“I think when we talked about where we would live, we always thought we would come back here,” Michelle said.

Early Careers and Community Impact

Michelle wanted to teach in a smaller school and landed a job as a teacher at R-7 school just outside of Holdrege. She taught fifth and sixth grades for nine years and then second grade for 12 years. After R-7 merged with Holdrege, she worked as a reading specialist for Holdrege Public Schools and retired after 27 years in teaching.

John worked for Rich Krohn all through college as a field scout. He also gained experience from agronomist Blake Johnson. After graduating from UNL, John started an Ag Trax crop consulting where he worked for seven years. He then worked as an agronomist for Pioneer Hybrids for seven years and then opened Ag Service Associates.

John and Michelle were involved in many community projects throughout their early adult years, while raising their children, Bailey and Brennan, in the same place they grew up.

In 2008, John and Michelle partnered with three other Holdrege couples to save a community treasure.  

“One of the things we wanted to do for our community back then was renovate the Holdrege Sun Theater,” John said. “At that time, it was literally a day away from being closed.”

Their kids worked alongside them and had their first jobs at the theater.  

“It was a great experience for all our kids and a great investment in the community,” John said. They sold the theater in 2021 to Adjacent Properties, and further renovations continued to preserve the theater for generations to come.

Living the Good Life in Holdrege

John and Michelle said there are many aspects of life in Holdrege that they love.

John recalled a recent conversation with a customer who lives in a large city and was having trouble getting some information for his 90-year-old dad. John was able to get the information within a few hours, and he recalled the customer saying, “It must be nice to live in a small town when you know people.”

John and Michelle both agree.

“I love the community,” Michelle said. “I love knowing people at the grocery store. I love our church. I love our schools. I love the people I’ve met. We walk at night and run into other couples who are walking. Our parents are both here. We love that our son and daughter-in-law have settled here.”

Brennan and his wife, Kelsey, are also part of the Ag Service Associates team and are now raising their two sons in Holdrege.

John said he looks forward to enjoying retirement in Phelps County, too. He said outside of about 45 days in the winter that get harsh, Holdrege has about everything they need.

“Honestly, what don’t we have?” John said. “We have a nice golf course, a YMCA, parks, fishing, outdoor activities, hunting, and even pickleball.”

Michelle agreed.

“I just feel like our little town has a lot to offer for all different ages,” she said.

John said the community has supported him well, including farmers and other businesses, and he is proud of the investments he has made in the community as well.

“We’ve invested in this community and recently built a new home,” John said. “We are not going anywhere. We will always call this home.”