14 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN December 2024 PEOPLE Prepared for What Comes Next LISA BARD | NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN EDITOR Dick Pierce has lived a life of service. From his time in the Air Force to his upcoming term as Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) president and everything in between, Pierce has combined his deep commitment to family with his love of and involvement in agriculture, and his passion for service into a very busy and productive life. What lies ahead for Pierce as the 2025 Nebraska Cattlemen president will once again combine all these things. A native of Sumner, Pierce and his wife of 52 years, Janna, live in Miller. They are descendants of Swedish, German and Irish immigrants who landed in Nebraska by way of Illinois and Kansas long ago. He comes from a long line of veterans who served in WWII, WWI and even the Civil War – something that is a source of pride for him. After completing high school, Pierce had no intention of going to college, and he always had it in his head that he was going to end up in the service. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force and, via testing, found out he had an aptitude for languages and linguistics. He spent 37 weeks learning Russian and then served as a Russian translator and interrogator in the National Security Agency in Maryland for the rest of his enlistment. His only regret is that he never got to serve overseas. Pierce and Janna married while he was in the service and toward the end of his enlistment, her parents pitched to them the idea of coming back to Nebraska and farming with them in Miller. In 1974, they headed back to Nebraska, and Pierce enlisted in the Nebraska Air National Guard where he served as a personal equipment life supports specialist and trained a lot of pilots in survival skills. Pierce says simply, but with great pride, “It was a fun career.” FAMILY Back in Nebraska, the Pierce family grew, and now consists of four adult children and their spouses, and 12 grandchildren, ages 22 to 2. Oldest son Justin and his wife, Jodi, and their four kids, Kaci, Josh, Kaylee and Addie, live in nearby Pleasonton and work with Dick and Janna in their cattle and farming operation. Grandson Josh is a student member of NC, an FFA member and is very interested in farming and agriculture. Son Jared and his wife, Jennifer, live in Pennsylvania with their two children, Emily and Adam, and Jared’s children Virgil and Everett. An Air Force officer veteran, Jared served in Afghanistan and, after his time in the Air Force, settled in Dick Pierce with one of his Percheron horses – a passion of his. All photos courtesy of Boni Edwards.
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