Using a house located on 25th Street, the Fox Funeral Home was established in 1966 by Harry Fox and Harm DeBuhr. In 1967, they moved to the current location: 1116 North 19th Street in Beatrice.

In 1987, Paul Fox joined his father in business.

In 1988, Fox Funeral Home was invited to become a member of the "National Selected Morticians" which is now called the 'Selected Independent Funeral Homes'. This invitation is extended to independently owned funeral homes.

Fox Funeral Home is also a member of the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association.

Fox Funeral Homes are in Beatrice, Adams and Plymouth and Zink-Fox Funeral Home is in Sterling.

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Our Staff

Harry Fox, Founder of Fox-DeBuhr Funeral Home

The late Harry Fox attended Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago, Illinois and had been licensed for over 50 years. After opening Fox Funeral Homes in 1966 he began a life-long endeavor to provide the highest quality funeral service in Beatrice and surrounding area.

As a member of numerous clubs and committees he had helped enhance Beatrice by his community service and sense of loyalty. He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church.

Harry and Nancy Fox are survived by three children, Kathy Huls and her husband David, Suzy Muhlbauer and Paul Fox and his wife Deborah, ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

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Paul Fox, Funeral Director

Paul Fox is a lifelong resident of Beatrice where he graduated from high school in 1974.

He attended and graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. He then attended the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and in 1987 he returned to Beatrice to begin his career in funeral service with his Dad.

Paul is active in several community organizations including Beatrice Sertoma Club, Beatrice Area Chamber of Commerce, Beatrice Mary YMCA and has served on the Gage County United Way Board. He is a member of Christ Community Church where he serves as an usher. He enjoys golfing and attending his children’s sporting events.

His goal is to continue the personal and quality funeral service his father began in 1966.

Debbie Fox began the pre-need program for Fox Funeral Home in 1988. She completed her training in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and has been licensed with the Nebraska Department of Insurance since 1988.

Debbie is also a licensed practical nurse and when not working can often be found at one of her kid’s sporting events.

Paul and Debbie were married in 1980 and they have three children, Stephen is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University. He lives and works in Omaha. Lauren is attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she is majoring in education and is a member of the UNO Soccer Team. Michael is a attending the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where he is on the Husker Basketball Team.

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Arvid Wiest, Funeral Director

Arvid is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, with a degree in Business Administration with management emphasis and the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service.

He is also licensed with the Nebraska Department of Insurance. He serves on the Scholarship Committee and is a district vice-president with the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association.

He is a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church, where he serves as the church treasurer, is past president for the Beatrice Rotary Club where he has served on the board of directors, the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce where he served on the Board of Directors, is on the Advisory Board of the Beatrice Good Samaritan Center and is also a member of the Beatrice Crimestoppers Board.

His wife, Althea, is a floral designer at The Blossom Khardt in Beatrice. They have two grown children, Aron and his wife Wendy of Lincoln and Abby and her husband Cameron Houseman of Olathe, Kansas. Arvid and Althea are also the proud grandparents of Jacob Wiest, Aubrey Wiest and Cohen Houseman .

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Muriel Thompson, Secretary at Fox Funeral Home

Muriel is a graduate of Minden High School and the Lincoln School of Commerce. She has worked as a secretary for the Dean of Men at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, was a legal secretary in Lincoln, was the financial secretary at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Beatrice and has been secretary at Fox Funeral Home since 1990. She is a life member of the PTA, a member of Chapter FM, P.E.O. where she served as President, Chaplain and Treasurer. She is an active member of the First Christian Church (DOC) where she has served on several committees, and is a member of the Christian Women's Fellowship, Circle #6 and sings in the Chancel Choir. She has also served on various committees for the Christian Church in Nebraska (DOC).

She enjoys reading and taking walks.

Her husband, Gary, is an attorney in Beatrice and is also a Director for the Nebraska Public Power District Board. They have two grown children, Scott Thompson of Omaha and Sara Thompson Brown and her husband Kelly of Houston, Texas. They are the proud grandparents of Deklan and Maren.

Additional Funeral Staff:

Norm Balderson Ila Burger Peggy Carrel Anna Dorn Erma Hazen Harold Huls Betty Lacey Joyce May Janet Murray

Ray Pohlmann Vane Rengstorf Don Saville Frieda Steinkamp Bernice Tennant LaVon Wasserman Clayton Wells Roger Weber Duane Zink