Meet Our Staff

Stephen D. O'Brien - Stephen graduated from Longfellow High School in Kearney in 1958 and has a bachelor of Arts degree from the University of NE in Lincoln. After attending Kearney State Teachers College and The San Francisco College of Mortuary Science he began his career as a Funeral Director and Embalmer. In 1994 he went into partnership with Gary Straatmann and purchased the Nielsen-Godberson Funeral Home in Kearney.
Stephen was born on a farm north of Gibbon and grew up in Grand Island and Kearney. He is married to Lori L. McCammon also a Kearney native and has a daughter Lori Strnot of Lincoln, NE. He is a member of First United Methodist Church in Kearney., Tehama Shrine, Scottish Rite of Hastings, Rob Morris Masonic Lodge #54 A.F. and A. M., Jesters, Kearney Elks Lodge #984, Kearney Noon Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce Colonels and is Associate Guardian of Jobs Daughters Bethel #6 of Kearney.

Gary M. Straatmann - A native of Kearney, NE, Gary Straatmann graduated from Kearney State College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Broadcasting. He later obtained his mortuary science degree from Kansas City Kansas Community College. He and Steve O’Brien purchased Godberson Mortuary in 1994. Gary is a member of First Lutheran Church in Kearney, board member of Kearney Noon Rotary, president of Kearney Concert Association, past co-fund drive chairperson of the Kearney United Way, Kearney Elks Lodge, 1733 Barbershop Chorus, Salvation Army Advisory Board, Rob Morris Lodge #54 A.F. & A.M, 32 nd degree and the Tehama Shrine. He also serves on the board of directors of the Buffalo County Historical Society. He is married to Stephanie (Dlouhy). They have four children; Alex, Katie, Joseph and Abby.

Jodi Hyde -Jodi is a native of Nebraska. She and her husband, reside in Riverdale. They have three sons, Michael, Branson and and Alec.   Mrs. Hyde received her nursing degree from Omar Gibson Nursing School at Reed Springs, Missouri. She was a 2005 graduate of the Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, CO with a degree in mortuary science. She is a  licensed funeral director at our funeral home.  She is a member of the Kearney E-Free Church in Kearney. She is a member of the Kearney Elks Lodge #984.

Mary Bowman, CSW -Mary leads our grief support group which meets at 6:00pm, the first Wednesday of every month. She is a social worker with Good Samaritan Home Care. She is also the RCIA Director at St. Jame's Catholic Church in Kearney. She grew up on a farm near David City, NE She graduated from Kearney Sate College in 1983. Her family includes her husband, Mark and 4 children who attend UNO and Kearney Catholic High School.

Carol Snodgrass -  Administrative assistant
Carol is a native of Oxford, NE and graduated from Oxford High School. She attended Kearney State College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education. She joined the staff at O’Brien – Straatmann Funeral Home in 1994, when Stephen and Gary purchased the business.

She and her husband, Andy, have two children, Sara and Daniel, and 5 grandchildren, all living in Kearney.