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 for Union Bank. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and Public Relations. Andrew, graduated from Pawnee City High School is a senior at Nebraska Wesleyan University and is working towards a Physical Therapy degree and also participates in track at Wesleyan. Joe enjoys 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 attending Husker football games, and following his son Andrew's track events and seeing his children in Lincoln. Over the last 30 years, Joe has considered it an honor to serve the families of Southeast Nebraska and Northeast Kansas.
Telephone: 1-402-852-2387
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 and later in 2005 partnered with Vaughn Wright and Joseph Davis in owning the Wherry Mortuaries and Monument Company.
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 Jane.
Todd is a member of The Christian Church in Humboldt and serves as deacon. He is the current 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 enjoys coaching his kids activities, fishing, hunting, golfing, vacationing with family, playing basketball, and following any of the Husker teams.
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 helps families design 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.
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
Vaughn and Tina Wright
Funeral Directors/Owners
Vaughn and Tina Wright are semi-retired Funeral Directors from Beatrice. They owned the Harman-Wright Mortuary in Beatrice which they purchased in 1991 and began the retirement process in 2015 selling that business. They currently help with services on an as needed basis.
Vaughn and Tina are active in the Beatrice community belonging to several associations and clubs and holding several offices. They are members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Beatrice.
Vaughn has been licensed since 1983 where he received his mortuary degree from Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon.
Tina has been licensed since 1991 receiving her mortuary education at Delgado Community College in New Orleans.
Vaughn and Tina Wright have 4 children and 1 grandchild .
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.
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
Shad Gager
Funeral Assistant-Pawnee City
Becky Smith
Visitation Assistant/Funeral Assistant-Pawnee City
Cheryl Clement
Visitation Assistant/Funeral Assistant- Humboldt
Rex Kappel
Funeral Assistant- Humboldt
Charlene Groeling
Visitation Assistant-Pawnee City
Keith Groeling
Funeral Assistant-Pawnee City
Roxy Schneider
Visitation Assistant/Funeral Assistant-Pawnee City
Wilma
Visitation Assistant-Tecumseh
Connie Oestmann
Visitation Assistant-Tecumseh
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