History & Staff

We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.

Our Valued Staff

  • Zachary Johnson

    Zachary Johnson Funeral Director, Owner

    Zach is originally from Pilger, Nebraska. He graduated from Wisner-Pilger High School in 2012 and went on to attend Wayne State College where he earned his Bachelors Degree of Mortuary Science with a minor in Business Administration. He attended Kansas City Kansas Community College where he graduated in 2016 with an Associates Degree. He successfully passed the National Boards of Funeral Sciences and Arts and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer in 2017. Zach joined the Svoboda Funeral Home family in January of 2017. Zach enjoys being involved in Schuyler and the surrounding communities. He is a member of the Schuyler Sertoma Club and has served as president, he volunteers regularly at the Colfax Theatre where he serves as Vice President of Schuyler Enrichment Foundation (Colfax Theatre Board). Zach currently serves as the Colfax County representative on the CASA board based in Columbus, CASA exists to advocate for children in the court and foster care system. He is currently the Community Representative for the local Knights of Columbus and coordinates the local Soccer Competition as well as the Free-Throw Contest. When not busy at the funeral home, Zach enjoys playing in the summer men's golf league and golfing at the Schuyler Golf Club, helping at area fundraisers, refinishing antiques to add to his collection, and working on his vintage cars.

  • Michaela Moravec

    Michaela Moravec Funeral Director, Owner

    Michaela is originally from Central City, Nebraska. She attended and graduated in 2009 from Cypress College in Cypress, California with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Sciences with a focus on Mortuary Science. While attending school in California, Michaela worked as a funeral director's apprentice and obtained her California Funeral Director's License using that time to learn under several directors. Upon moving back to Nebraska and working on her Nebraska Funeral Directors License she worked in Central City, Nebraska under Solt Funeral Home, and Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton, NE. Michaela became a licensed funeral director/embalmer in April of 2011. She took a full time job in Schuyler managing Svoboda Home, she then went on to work full time in David City at Chermok Funeral Home, where she was the manager for 9 years. Michaela married Trev Moravec a native of Butler County, in 2012. In 2019 as their family grew Michaela made the decision to step back from the funeral home and focus on her family. Now that her children are growing, she is anxious to start working in the funeral home once again, this time as an owner. Aside from helping with funerals Michaela is currently employed at Aquinas Catholic School in David City where she is in charge of their alumni association, fundraising, the coach for the cheer team and serves on the gold rush committee. When able, she assists her husband Trev with local benefit auctions, or helps out at Moravec Auctions when needed. Michaela and Trev have three children who are very active in youth gymnastics, wrestling, and dance. They have made their home on an acreage near Octavia. Their family belongs to Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Abie.

  • Libby Scott

    Libby Scott Funeral Apprentice

    Libby Scott joined the Svoboda and Chermok Funeral Home Families in June of 2021. She is originally from Osceola, Nebraska. Libby has recently graduated from Central Community College and is preparing to attend DMACC to obtain her mortuary school education starting in August of 2022.

  • Dan Wisnieski

    Dan Wisnieski

    Dan Wisnieski and his wife Chris purchased the Svoboda Funeral Home in 1971 when Dan's step-father Edward Svoboda retired after a 39 year career in funeral service.Dan grew up on a farm six miles northwest of Dodge and moved to Schuyler at the age of ten when his widowed mother Margaret (Vlach) Wisnieski married Ed. He graduated from Schuyler High School in 1964 and received his Mortuary Science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1967.Dan enjoys collecting antiques, especially Schuyler memorabilia and baseball collectibles. He also enjoys giving programs to organizations on his collections of Schuyler Postcards, Schuyler calendars, the Wells-Abbott-Nieman Flour Mill, his lunch boxes, celluloid toys, tin toys and his many other collections. Dan likes to ask the people in attendance what their favorite toy was, or what their favorite store was and what they remember about it. He feels it's fun to take people back to those simpler days and help them relive the good times.