David J. Thieman

David J. Thieman passed away August 29th, 2026, at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln after a short illness.

David was born February 5th, 1951, in Broken Bow, Nebraska to Louis and Lola (Holley) Thieman. The family later moved to Cozad where he graduated from Cozad High School with the class of 1969.

On May 20th, 1972, David married Rita Priest. They were married for 47 years before Rita's death in 2018. The couple welcomed 4 daughters over the course of their lives together, Shannan, Kellie, Carrie, and Jenni.

David worked at hay mills early on in his life and eventually worked at Nebraska Plastics for many years.

David enjoyed collecting coins, his little chicken farm, and going to visit many of his old friends from childhood. He was an avid Husker fan and also enjoyed the many friendships he made at the Cozad Wellness Center.

David was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Rita; his sister Barb Kaspar; son-in-law Brandon Cooper; father-in-law Hermal Priest and mother-in-law Phyllis Priest.

He is survived by his daughters; Shannan (Bryon) Myers of Cozad, Kellie (Dave) Trew of York, Carrie (Sean) Miller of Oconto, and Jenni Cooper of Gothenburg; 8 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren; his sisters, Louetta (Keith) McKelvey, Caroline Seeber and Shelly (John) Reed; and many nieces, nephews and friends; David is also survived by his special friend Carol Stark. 

A memorial service will be held Friday, September 4, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Berryman Funeral Home Chapel with Father Ravi Gudipalli as officiant. Burial will follow at Cozad Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation.