Michael Peek never thought he would move away from Denver, Colorado. “When you grow up in a big city, you kind of take everything for granted. Growing up there I loved always having something to do – shopping or recreational things. I was pretty into snowboarding and outdoor stuff,” he said.
Michael grew up about 15 minutes west of Denver, but the community he remembers as a child has dramatically changed, becoming more crowded and less safe. Michael was a police officer for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Golden, Colorado, where he worked for 10 years. When he began his career in law enforcement, the area where he worked was relatively low crime. As time passed, though, the crime rate increased and his job became more stressful.
One of Michael’s coworkers had grown up in Nebraska, and his dad still owned a ranch in the Sandhills where he would sometimes take his friends. “His dad ranches north of Atkinson,” explained Michael. “And we would come out here and hike and shoot guns and do all that stuff on the property. They own a pretty good chunk of land.”
Visiting Nebraska cleared away some of the stereotypes Michael had about the state, including the belief that Nebraska is nothing but flat. “You hear that commonly about coming down I-80. But the farther north you get into the Sandhills, it’s just beautiful country,” said Michael. “People, especially outdoors people, enjoy going for hikes and seeing the Cowboy Trail.” From O’Neill it is an easy day trip to Valentine to see Smith Falls State Park, Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, and more. “There’s a lot of stuff that way,” Michael added.
A new opportunity in O’Neill
In 2015, Michael was talking to his friend during one of their trips to the Sandhills. His friend shared his aspiration to move to the area and open a brewery. Michael liked the idea and mentioned that he might be willing to help. “About a month later he called me and said, ‘Were you serious about helping me get this brewery open?’”
The opportunity gave Michael and his family the motivation to leave Colorado and move to O’Neill. The brewery idea didn’t turn out to be what Michael dreamed of, but relocating to a welcoming, peaceful community made him realize that Nebraska was a better option for his family. At the time, his children were 13, eight, and six years old. They thrived being in a smaller, more neighborly setting than the busy Denver suburbs. Additionally, Michael’s wife has family in Minnesota, so moving to Nebraska made driving to visit them much easier.
After moving on from the brewery business, Michael quickly found a job working at the local John Deere AKRS store. “I started in the parts department for six months, then moved to sales. And then the last three years I’ve been store manager. It’s a good learning curve for a city boy,” he laughed.
Finding support in the Sandhills
What surprised Michael and his family most about moving to Nebraska was the strength of the small-town communities. Coming from Denver, he had not experienced such a helpful, supportive environment.
“The community is very close-knit,” he explained. “It doesn’t matter if you’re from Omaha, Lincoln, or even the rural towns here. Everybody seems to bond and get along, and they are willing to help each other out. We’ve experienced that in all aspects.”
This welcoming attitude made it easy for Michael to get involved in the community. He is now golf course president for the Atkinson-Stuart Country Club and is on the hospital board for West Holt Medical Services.
For the kids, the transition from Denver to O’Neill was a major change. Like Michael, they have experienced positive impacts after coming to Nebraska.
“My oldest, when she graduated high school here four years ago, was the class speaker at graduation,” said Michael. “She spoke about moving to O’Neill. She said at first she was nervous about coming here to a community she didn’t know. But everybody was willing to accept us as family and help us along the way. It’s been a good thing. Part of the reason we’ve stayed in Nebraska is the school system and the support.”
If they had stayed in Colorado, he said his oldest daughter’s class size would have been about 1,700 students. By contrast, the smaller scale of the O’Neill school district allows teachers and parents to be more involved and hands-on with the learning. “The teachers are willing to help get the kids through school and want them to excel and succeed in what they’re doing,” he explained.
A community focused on supporting families
Michael’s parents and siblings still live in Colorado, but during visits to Nebraska they are also impressed by what they have seen.
“They come out and visit us, and they see us thriving in the community and how well we’ve done for ourselves,” he said. “They’re all looking to possibly get out of Colorado as well and are trying to decide what their next steps will be. My father-in-law is on the verge of retirement and wants to move to either Nebraska or South Dakota. They like the smaller community instead of the hustle and bustle of a big town.”
The community support for families is what Michael says is the most outstanding aspect of living in Nebraska. He said it seems like everybody wants the kids to succeed no matter what they pursue. “I think for parents with younger children, that’s vital. Having the support team to help raise the kids has been nice for us.”
