Our Staff


Joe Davis

Funeral Director, Owner

Joe was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska on June 15, 1968.  He graduated from Nebraska City High School in 1987.  He attended Peru State College from fall of 1987 to the spring of 1989.  He graduated from Mid-America College of Funeral Service in 1990.  Joe is a Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer for Nebraska and Kansas, Licensed Preneed Seller, Licensed Life Insurance Agent.  He is the Co-Owner-Wherry Mortuary since December 2006.  
His family includes wife-Nancy,  children-Hannah, who graduated from Pawnee City High School,  Southeast Community College and UNL and now is working in Lincoln.  She received her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and Public Relations.   Andrew, graduated from Pawnee City High School, Nebraska Wesleyan University and is working towards a Physical Therapy degree at UNMC.  Joe has enjoyed  announcing the football games for Pawnee City High School for a number of years.    

Joe's community Memberships include:  Faith Baptist Church, Pawnee City Chamber-Board Member 
Pawnee City Rotary-Past President, Pawnee City Schools Teammates, Pawnee City Airport Authority and Pawnee City Assisted Living Board and is a longtime Member of the Pawnee City Masonic Lodge #124 AF and AM and Member of the Sesostris Shrine and the Scottish Rite.  He formerly served on the boards of the Pawnee City School Education Foundation and the Pawnee City Chamber of Commerce.  Joe is a member of the Nebraska Funeral Director's Association.

In his spare time Joe enjoys following Husker Athletics and seeing his children in Lincoln.  Over the years, Joe has considered it an honor to serve the families of Southeast Nebraska and Northeast Kansas.

Telephone: 1-402-852-2387

Email: 


Todd Dierberger

Funeral Director, Owner

Todd Samuel Dierberger is a 1995 graduate of Beatrice High School. After attending Peru State College where he played baseball for two years, he graduated from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1999 with a Funeral Directing and Embalmer’s License. 

Todd began his funeral service career by working for Jon Reichmuth at Reichmuth Funeral Homes outside of Omaha, Nebraska. In 2003, he became the manager of the Wherry Mortuary in Humboldt, Nebraska. 

Todd was born in York, Nebraska but grew up in Beatrice after age two. He was united in marriage to Samantha Becerra of Nebraska City, Nebraska on March 13, 2002. They have one son, Ethan, and a daughter Avery. 

Todd is a member of The Christian Church in Humboldt and serves as deacon. He is the past Assistant Governor of Area 4 for Rotary District 5650 and is Past-President of the Humboldt Club. Todd served as President of the Humboldt Chamber of Commerce in 2007 and is a past board member of the Colonial Acres Nursing Home in Humboldt.  

In his spare time, he has enjoyed coaching Ethan and Avery in basketball and baseball, fishing, hunting, golfing, vacationing with family, playing basketball, and following any of the Husker teams.

Email: 


Carol Rieken

Secretary/Office Manager

Carol Rieken has been employed as the secretary/office manager for Wherry Mortuary since January of 1996. She graduated from Elk Creek High School in 1978 and Southeast Community College in Lincoln. Carol worked as a dental assistant for 16 years prior to working for the funeral home. She enjoys assisting families in planning funerals that truly celebrate the life of loved ones.  Carol has her pre-need seller's license and works with families to plan their funeral/memorial services and also assists families in designing their permanent cemetery monuments. 

Carol and her husband Ken live and farm northeast of Tecumseh. They have two sons, Kyle and Cody, who both graduated from Johnson County Centrals Schools. They both live and work in Lincoln.

Carol belongs to St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Johnson, Nebraska where she is very active having served several terms on the church council, was a Sunday school and Vacation Bible School teacher for many years and church financial secretary. For over 20 years, Carol participated in the Elk Creek Alumni Musicals.   In her spare time Carol enjoys being on the farm, keeping up with Husker football and volleyball, reading, walking and spending time with her family. 

Telephone: 1-402-335-2921

Email: 


Art Wherry

Funeral Director-Retired

Art Wherry served as the funeral director at the Wherry Mortuary in Humboldt prior to his retirement. Art graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1950 and attended Hasting College for two years prior to receiving his funeral embalming license in 1953 from the Mortuary Science program in Kansas City. 
Art then served in the U.S. Navy for 4 yrs. from 1953-1957. He then returned to Hastings College where he met his wife Edie from Gordon, NE. 

Art and Edie took over the Asa Funeral Home in Humboldt in 1960 and resided in the upper quarters of the funeral home for six years. They are parents 
of Jim, Lynne, Steve and Lisa. 

Art and his wife Edie still reside in Humboldt and Art assists part time with funeral services in the area. 

Art serves as the secretary/treasurer of the Humboldt Rotary Club, serves on the Humboldt Cemetery Board, member of the American Legion and the Nebraska Funeral Director's Association.  Art and Edie are longtime members of the Presbyterian Church in Humboldt. Art enjoys singing in the local Cantata, walking, has been interested in dousing over the years and enjoys following the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the HTRS Titans and local sporting events. 

Email: 


John Wherry

Funeral Director-Retired

John Wherry served as the funeral director at the Wherry Mortuary in Pawnee 
City prior to his retirement. John and his wife Bernie now winter in Las Vegas, NV where their son, Mark and his wife Elena and their children, Kyra, Johnnie and Sasha reside. 

When in Pawnee City John assists with funeral services. John graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1954. John is a past president and current member of the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association, member of the Pawnee Rotary Club and Pawnee Presbyterian Church. 

For years, Bernie Wherry taught vocal music lessons to aspiring young musicians and personally sang at many functions. John and Bernie are avid Husker football and volleyball fans. 


Nancy Davis

Funeral Assistant-Pawnee City



Becky Smith

Visitation Assistant/Funeral Assistant-Pawnee City



Rex Kappel

Funeral Assistant- Humboldt
















Charlene Groeling

Visitation Assistant-Pawnee City



Keith Groeling

Funeral Assistant-Pawnee City



Willie Stinson

Visitation Assistant-Tecumseh



Connie Oestmann

Visitation Assistant-Tecumseh



© 2024 Wherry Mortuary. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility