Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
For my dad, two things mattered greatly: keeping the ranch a family business focused on stewardship, and supporting Creighton. I probably could have guessed that these were his values, but it was comforting to hear it directly from him during conversations about his estate.
In winters before dawn, four young O'Kief children—Greg, Mary, Joe, and John—braved the cold, following the lead of their father, Jerry and Uncle Jim. Their breath was visible as they crossed the frost-covered Sandhills to feed the cattle. Each spring, they gathered with their family for cattle branding, working long hours into the night.
In the summers, the heat was relentless, as they put up hay under the scorching sun. Growing up on the family ranch, there were no winter breaks or summer camps — this was daily life for the O’Kiefs on the ground that they love.
“Our family has been on that land for 90 years, but our ranching history goes back even further,” says Greg, the oldest son of the late Jerry and Sharon O’Kief. “Our father, uncle and grandfather grew up in this tradition. It’s incredible to think about how deeply rooted we are in this way of life.”
Mary remembers, “Mom would warm our clothes in the dryer and put them under the blankets of our beds so they were warm when we put them on before heading out into the winter cold.”
Twelve-hour workdays were common, and the lessons the O’Kief children learned were invaluable. Greg recalls a moment when he was about 12 years old and was with his uncle Jim:
“One summer, after working since 7 in the morning, we were still at it by 8 that night. One of my brothers asked Uncle Jim, ‘Why are you still out here? You’re the boss.’ Uncle Jim replied, ‘Because I’m the boss. I’ve got to work harder than everyone else. That’s how you lead.’ That lesson stuck with all of us.”
Each child learned responsibility by raising a calf each year. “That calf wasn’t a pet or just livestock,” Greg explains. “It was our investment—something we nurtured and later sold to help fund school or other goals.”
The O’Kief connection to Creighton started in 1954, when William Gerald “Jerry” O’Kief (JD’60, BA’61) became the first family member to attend Creighton. Raised on the family ranch, Jerry lived by the values of faith, intellect, and resilience -- values that he would one day pass on to his children.
Jerry excelled in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Law, where he was President of the Student Board of Governors. He graduated first in his class in 1960 and received the Spirit of Creighton Award.
At Creighton, he met his future wife, Sharon Moran, an Omaha native and fellow Irish Catholic. Sharon taught English at Omaha Technical High School and Bishop Ryan High School.
After earning a Master of Laws from Harvard University, Jerry returned to the Sandhills as a skilled attorney and conservation-minded rancher. In 1966, he and Sharon married, and she joined him in the Sandhills. There, they raised a family and ran the ranch alongside Jerry’s brother Jim and his wife, Rita.
“My dad often said he had the best of both worlds: practicing law in a small community, and living and working on the ranch,” says Mary. “He loved the land, the animals, and the people who made the Sandhills special.”
Greg (BA’89, JD’92) also pursued a law degree at Creighton, supported by a scholarship from the University that helped ease his educational journey.
“For me, much like dad, there was a desire to stay in Nebraska and not stray too far from the ranch,” says Greg. “Creighton offered the perfect balance of a strong Catholic education and proximity to home. What Creighton gave us is something for which we are deeply grateful.”
Mary (O’Kief Dittrich, MD, BSN’91) discovered her passion for healthcare while working on the ranch and spending summers at a nursing home job. She started her journey at Creighton, earning a nursing degree before becoming a doctor.
Like her father, Mary received the Spirit of Creighton Award, the University’s highest student honor for compassion and leadership. This award has been given at May Commencement since 1949, and Mary and Jerry are likely the only father-daughter duo ever to receive it.
“My dad and I shared a commitment to the Jesuit tradition of faith-based education and a life of service,” Mary says. “My parents valued education not just for personal fulfillment but as a way to give back.”
The O’Kief twins, John and Joe, stayed at the ranch and managed the day-to-day operations. Joe passed away in 2018, followed by their father later that same year. Prior to his death, Jerry left a generous gift of cattle to the University.
“Above all,” says Mary, “We learned that success isn’t about wealth, but about what you give — to the land, to the family, and to the community.
“For my dad, two things mattered greatly: keeping the ranch a family business focused on stewardship, and supporting Creighton. I probably could have guessed that these were his values, but it was comforting to hear it directly from him during conversations about his estate.”
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In 2021, to honor their father’s wishes, the family established the O'Kief Family Endowed Scholarship at Creighton to support undergraduate students from rural Nebraska. When Sharon O'Kief passed away in 2024, she, too, made a gift to the scholarship through her estate.
“Together, my parents balanced their shared dedication to family, faith, and hard work,” says Greg. “I want students to understand how deeply connected we are to the ranch and what it means to us. In many ways, it funded this scholarship.”
Today, John continues to manage the day-to-day operations of the ranch, while Greg and Mary support its operations from afar. Greg and his wife, Jennifer Vacek O’Kief, (JD’08), live in Omaha with their two children. Mary, whose medical career takes her across the country, resides in Idaho with her husband, Dr. William Dittrich. They have three children. Though life has taken them in different directions, they return to the ranch as often as possible. John has two children. Joe is survived by two children and two grandchildren.
According to Mary, the next generation of O’Kiefs—all seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren of Jerry and Sharon—cherish their connection to the ranch and the Nebraska Sandhills.
“To them (and all of us), the ranch is magical,” she says. “Wide-open spaces, wildlife, and a way of life tied to family and purpose. I’ve been all over the world, and I truly feel that where we grew up was incredibly unique.”
Greg adds: “Our childhood formed the values that have helped us grow and succeed and to teach our children. Plus, we had the best backyard ever.”
Rooted in Tradition, United in Purpose: The Creighton and O’Kief Legacies
For generations, the O’Kief family has embraced the demands of ranching, their story rooted in the same Irish Catholic values that shaped Creighton University’s founders. Edward Creighton, the University’s namesake, was a visionary businessman, philanthropist, and cattle rancher. From a young age, he embraced the toughest challenges with an adventurous spirit. His legacy lived on through an estate gift from his wife, Mary Lucretia Creighton, whose will fulfilled his dream of founding Creighton University.
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Today, farmers and ranchers like the O’Kiefs continue this legacy by turning their resources into meaningful contributions that help Creighton students reach their full potential. Gifts of crops, livestock, machinery, or land enable the men and women who are the backbone of our nation to make a profound impact—while also benefiting from tax advantages, retirement income, and the preservation of their cherished land.
