Losing someone is weird. It’s heavy, it’s messy, and honestly, the "to-do" list that hits you the moment someone passes is the last thing anyone wants to deal with. In Seward, Nebraska, there's a name that has been attached to that heavy lifting for longer than most of the town's buildings have been standing.
Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home obituaries aren't just names in a newspaper. They are the digital and physical records of a community that has stayed tight-knit since 1874. Think about that for a second. This business started just seven years after Seward was even founded. John Kribbeler, the founder, was basically a furniture guy who also happened to be an undertaker. Back then, you’d buy a window shade and a casket in the same shop.
Times have changed, obviously.
Why Finding the Right Obituary Actually Matters
You’ve probably been there—frantically googling a name, trying to find the viewing times because you don't want to be the person who shows up an hour late to a service at the 410 Jackson Avenue chapel. But obituaries are more than just a calendar. In a town like Seward or Dwight, they are the primary way we keep track of each other.
People often assume that every obituary is the same, but the way Zabka-Perdue handles them is kinda specific to their "small-town service" philosophy. They use a "Book of Memories" system. It’s not just a block of text; it’s a place where you can actually dump photos, leave weirdly specific stories about the deceased, or even donate to a memorial fund without having to mail a physical check.
The 150-Year Evolution of Seward’s Goodbyes
Greg and Dixie Zabka bought the place back in '98 from the Wood family, and then Brad and Jill Perdue took the reins around 2018. If you talk to the folks there—or if you happened to catch their presentation at the Seward Rotary recently—they’ll tell you that the "business" of death is basically the business of history.
- The Horse-Drawn Era: In the late 1800s, funerals happened in the living room. The "mortician" brought the equipment to you.
- The Motorized Shift: Zabka-Perdue was one of the first in the region to get a motorized carriage.
- The Digital Age: Now, the "carriage" is a high-speed server hosting a digital tribute that people in different time zones can access.
It’s interesting because, despite the tech, the core remains the same. Brad Perdue and Greg Zabka have both served as State Presidents for the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association. That’s not just a title to put on a resume; it means they’re the ones setting the standards for how these things are handled across the whole state.
Dealing with the "Online" Confusion
Here is something most people get wrong: they think a Legacy.com link is the "official" version. Usually, it’s just a syndicate. If you want the most accurate, family-approved details for Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home obituaries, you have to go straight to their primary site or their specific Dwight location's listings.
Why? Because third-party sites often scrape data and might miss a last-minute change in service location—say, if a blizzard rolls through Seward and moves the service from the chapel to a local church like St. John Lutheran.
The Logistics: More Than Just a Write-up
When a family sits down with Brad or the other directors like Nathan Bierbaum, they aren't just writing a life story. They're navigating a maze. Honestly, the obituary is the tip of the iceberg. Underneath that text is a mountain of paperwork—Social Security notifications, veterans' benefits, and monument coordination.
The Perdues and Zabkas have made it a point to be "service-oriented" rather than just "business-oriented." Dixie Zabka, who was once named the Outstanding Woman in Business in Seward, built her career on the idea of giving people more than they asked for. That’s why their obituaries often feel a bit more personal than the sterile ones you see in big-city papers.
What to Do If You’re Looking for Someone
If you are searching for a current service, don't just wing it with a Google search that might lead you to an outdated link.
- Check the 40-Day Rule: Most funeral homes, including Zabka-Perdue, keep current services front and center for about 40 days. If the person passed away years ago, you’ll need to hit the "Past Services" or "Archives" section.
- Dwight vs. Seward: Remember they have two locations. If the service isn't listed under the Seward branch, check the Dwight listings.
- Tribute Walls: If you can't make it to the service, use the online tribute wall. It actually means a lot to the families to read those "kinda funny" stories about their loved ones three months down the road when the initial shock has worn off.
Actionable Next Steps
If you need to find an obituary or are planning for the future, skip the middleman. Go directly to the Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home website to ensure the viewing times and memorial locations are the most current versions. If you're looking for a specific historical record in Seward, their archives are often more reliable than general genealogy sites because they hold the original records dating back decades.
For those looking to leave a condolence, focus on a specific memory rather than a generic "sorry for your loss." Families in small communities like ours value the personal connection far more than the formal gesture.
