150 Years of Caring Service

Seward Rotary President Anita Foor noted at the July 17, 2024 meeting that from the beginning of Seward Rotary in 1924, at least one member of what is now Zabke-Perdue Funeral Home has been a Seward Rotarian.  When the Seward Rotary Club was organized, local mortician A. B. Chain signed the Seward club's charter and was elected Sergeant At Arms on March 23, 1925.

 

At the July 17 meeting, Rotarians Greg Zabka and Brad Perdue presented a the program on the history of their business and how the funeral business and industry has changed in 150 years.  They were assisted by Makena and Nathan Bierbaum, also Funeral Directors at Zabka Perdue Funeral Home, as well as Jill Perdue and Dixie Zabka, who added comments, insights and color to the presentation.

 

The first accounts of the Zabka Perdue Funeral home date back to 1874, seven years after the founding of Seward in 1867, when a young man of 26 years, John Kribbeler founded the Kribbeler Funeral Home and Furniture Store.  He sold furniture, window shades and did furniture repair, along with being an undertaker.  His Funeral Home was on the south side of Seward Street between 6^th and 7^th Street.  Later he was joined in a partnership with Fritz Beckord and the new name was Kribbeler and Beckord’ Funeral Home.  It was noted that, at that time, most of the funerals were held in the homes and all of the body preparation was also completed in the home as well. 

 

In 1890, at the age of 32, Wm Henry Moore purchased the Funeral Home and moved the Funeral Home to the North Side of Seward Street and separated the Funeral Home from his Furniture Store, even building a new W. H. Moore brick building for the furniture store.  The W. H. Moore Building still stands today and is the home of Merle’s Flower Shop and the W. H. Moore Funeral Home location is now the Udder Fabric Store.  The W. H. Moore Funeral Home was located just West of the Furniture Store.

 

In 1913, twelve years before the founding of the Seward Rotary Club, Albert Chain and his wife Abby purchased the Funeral Home, which, it is noted, was after the terrible May 14^th, 1913 tornado in Seward that killed six people.  It became the Chain Funeral Home.

 

Fay Wood arrived in Seward at the age of 16, with his family on the train in 1905.  They were in search for a new home and a new life and were impressed with the Seward Community.  At the age of 27, Fay Wood worked for A. B Chain at the Funeral Home and Fay Wood eventually bought the Chain Funeral Home and it became the Chain and Wood Funeral Home.  His brother, Wilber Wood joined him in the funeral business and eventually the business name was changed to Wood Brothers Chapel and Mortuary. 

 

It should be noted that both Fay Wood and Wilber Wood, like all the previous funeral directors of this business, were very active leaders in the community, church and both were members of the Seward Rotary Club.  In fact, Fay Wood is the only Seward Rotarian to have served as a Rotary District Governor and he was also elected to be a State Senator as well.

 

Wilber had three sons and the youngest, John Wood, decided to become a Funeral Director, at the age of 21.   In 1955, John joined the Funeral Home business with his uncle and father.  John and Darlene relocated the Funeral Home, first building the garages and eventually building a new Funeral Home at the corner of 4^th and Jackson. 

 

Greg and Dixie Zabka and their family moved to Seward in 1977, and Greg was employed by Wood Brothers Funeral Home.  Greg had graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1973 and had previously worked in Lincoln.   In 1998, at the age of 48, Greg and Dixie purchased the Funeral Home from John and Darlene Wood, and the business became Wood Zabka Funeral Home.  Dixie then joined Greg in the family business.  They computerized the business and client information and focused on a complete interior and exterior remodel and updated a reconstruction of the facility in 2008.  The Zabka Funeral Home name was adopted April 27, 2008.  In 2017, the business expanded, opening a branch facility in Dwight, Nebraska, with a newly constructed building. 

 

In 2011, Brad and Jill Perdue and their family moved to Seward, where Brad become an employee at the Zabka Funeral Home.  History repeated itself, as, at the age of 48, Brad and Jill Perdue purchased the funeral home and the name changed to the Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home, with Jill joining Brad at the funeral home. 

 

Makena (Perdue) Bierbaum (Brad and Jill’s daughter) and her husband, Nathan Bierbaum, attended mortuary school in Kansas City, graduating and joined her parents at the Funeral Home as Funeral Directors.  Makena is also a member of the Seward Rotary Club.  Both Makena and Nathan are graduates of Seward High and in fact, were high school sweethearts!

 

Greg Zabka touched on a variety of the aspects of being in the funeral business and noted the changes over the years.  They are all very proud of the Funeral Carriage, owned by the Wood Family that served the business for many years, noting that there was also a more durable carriage to be used for the country funerals and the rough roads.  Their historic funeral carriage was on display in front of the business on July 4.  He showed the changes in funeral carriages over the years, and noted that their funeral home was one of the first to have a motorized funeral carriage.

At one time, the business also employed a special Ambulance Service, which they eventually sold the business to Seward Memorial Hospital.

 

Both Brad Perdue and Greg Zabka noted that one of the most important aspects of a funeral home is service and they praised and thanked their local dedicated employees.  Both Zabka and Perdue are active with the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association and have served as State President.  Greg Zabka has been a member of the association for 50+ years.  They were responsible for the Funeral Director’s Interactive Exhibit of “War Telegrams” at the Nebraska National Guard and both families support the many programs and projects of the Nebraska National Guard Museum and the Seward County Chamber, along with a host of other community projects and efforts, such as the Seward Fourth of July Celebration. Both Greg and Brad have also served as President of the Seward Rotary Club. 

 

Zabka spoke on the changes and history of embalming and the changes within the funeral industry over the years.  They both commented on the wonderful families that they have served over the years and thanked the Seward Rotary Club for their continued support of their business.

 

Questions and answers followed the presentation.  It was noted that research shows that less than .05% of businesses last 100 years and that there are not any real statistics on survival rates for a 150 year old business, because it is so rare!  Congratulations were expressed by the Seward Rotarians and the club members sang “Happy Birthday” to the Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home, serving a special, decorated “Zabka Perdue” 150^th birthday cake to all present.  Club President Anita Foor presented the Zabkas, Perdues, and Bierbaums with framed certificates of appreciation, stating that Seward Rotary “Saluted, Honored and Thanked” the Zabka Perdue Funeral Home for their outstanding business model of “Service Above Self.”