George Seberg

George Herbert Seberg, 92, of Hastings died Sept. 22, 2009 at The Homestead in Hastings.

Funeral services are 11 a.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church. Private family burial will be in Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that memorials in his honor may be given to the Ellen Seberg Nursing Scholarship c/o the Hastings Community Foundation, 800 West 3rd, Room 232, Hastings, NE 68901, or the Seberg Dental Scholarship c/o the University of Nebraska Foundation, 1010 Lincoln Mall, Suite 300, Lincoln, NE 68508.

Herbert Seberg was born July 21, 1917 in Upland, Nebr. to Lewis and Anna (Schaaf) Seberg. The family lived in Philips County, Kansas, and Alma, Nebr. before moving to Elwood in 1924, where he graduated from Elwood High School in 1935. He enrolled in the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry, and had a student deferment until May 1943 when his entire class was drafted. After graduation with a B.S. and D.D.S. in dentistry in January 1944, he was commissioned in the Army as a First Lieutenant. After his discharge in Oct. 1946, Dr. Seberg returned to Nebraska and married Ellen Elizabeth Diemer on March 30, 1947 in Omaha. She died May 22, 1989 in Hastings.

He began his dental practice in Feb. 1947 in a small office on the second floor of the Gaston Building with his brother John, and moved six years later to a new office on the corner of 9th and Denver, which became Central Dental Group. He was a leading advocate in the promotion of good oral health and was active in local, state and national efforts to promote the fluoridation of public water supplies. His reputation for excellence and his professional demeanor of kindness and concern produced scores of thank-you letters upon his retirement in 1990. In June 1990 he married Verena Zeller in Topeka, Kan. and moved to Topeka where he lived until her death in 2007.

In 1966 he was one of the representatives of the Nebraska Dental Association to the National Dental Health Assembly on Fluoridation. He was head of the Nebraska Dental Association's fluoridation committee and was instrumental in getting the state's fluoridation law passed that simplified for Nebraska communities the task of legalizing fluoridation. The law, passed by the 1973 legislature, required the fluoridation of municipal water supplies. By 1976, 29 municipal water supplies added fluoride.

His professional memberships and honors include the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Society; Pierre Fauchard Academy; International College of Dentists; Nebraska Dental Association Hall of Fame 1967; President of the Nebraska Dental Association 1970-1971; American Society of Dentistry for Children Distinguished Service Award 1973; American Dental Association Preventive Dentistry Award 1973; Hastings Chamber of Commerce Community Recognition Award 1973.

University of Nebraska awards include the UNMC College of Dentistry Dean's Club Charter Member; NU Dental Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award; NU Alumni Award in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement; and the NU Alumni Family Tree Award.

Other memberships and honors include the Kiwanis George Hixson Fellow; Hastings Community Foundation Founding Member; Masonic Lodge 317 A.F. & A.M. Scottish Rite, Shrine and Jesters; Toastmasters; Kansas Society, Sons of the American Revolution; member and board member of First United Methodist Church; 50 year and life member of Kiwanis; and Eagle Scout.

He was preceded in death by his first wife Ellen, his second wife Verena, his daughter Carol Amen, infant grandson Luke Gotchey, his daughter-in-law Dana Seberg, and older brothers Glenn and John L.

He is survived by his son George of Honolulu, son Lewis and daughter-in-law Joanne of Ayr, daughter Sara Gotchey and son-in-law Tim of Manhattan, Kan.; granddaughters Suzanne Seberg of Lincoln, Amy Amen of West Buxton, Maine, and Danika Voorhees of Los Angeles; and grandsons Nick Seberg of Honolulu, and Joel and Seth Gotchey of Manhattan. He is also survived by one brother, Dr. John R. Seberg of Hastings.