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Concordia Nebraska and Cattle Bank & Trust announce Van Vahle Endowed Faculty in Health Sciences position

Seward, NE (08/14/2025) — Dr. Van Vahle is well known by many in the greater Seward area and beyond. A beloved member of the community, he served for decades as a family physician, and he and his wife Becky (Cattle) Vahle remain deeply involved in activities that bless the people of Seward County.

"He has such a winsome way about him, he is truly an uplifting man," said Concordia University, Nebraska Senior Director of Engagement and Development Scott Seevers. "People still talk about his days as a physician, remembering when he made rounds in the hospital. He was always whistling! When he retired from full-time practice, he inquired about serving as part-time health director at Concordia and had a similar uplifting impact on countless students."

Seeking to honor Van's many contributions in health care and to the university and Seward communities, the Cattle family and Cattle Bank & Trust leadership have established the Van Vahle Endowed Faculty in Health Sciences position at Concordia University, Nebraska.

"This endowed position celebrates a skilled physician and beloved gentleman. It seeks to honor his heart for people and support Concordia faculty who are training up future generations of health care servant-leaders like him," added Seevers. "We hope faculty and students in Concordia's thriving health sciences programs will have a similar impact on those they serve. We invite the community of Seward, the university community and all those who love Dr. Vahle to consider supporting this endowment."

The endowment was announced at the Cattle Bank & Trust-sponsored Concordia Nebraska back to school dinner on August 7. Cattle Bank & Trust President and CEO Ryne Seaman has served at the bank for 36 years. Earlier this year, Seaman reached out to the Concordia University, Nebraska advancement office to explore ways to recognize Van for his long-tenured service to the people, patients and community of Seward and the state of Nebraska.

"We arrived at the idea of creating this endowment that will impact faculty and students of the health sciences at Concordia University for years to come," said Seaman. "Van has impacted so many lives over the years, whether it was in the delivery room delivering babies at MHCS during his career or educating and mentoring the next generation of medical professionals at UNMC on appropriate bedside manner or giving free physicals to Concordia University athletes, he has impacted so many, demonstrating Christ's love through his service."

Concordia students preparing to serve in health care find direction and inspiration in an Old Testament Bible verse which reads "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

"Dr. Van Vahle has lived this verse daily and has been a good, faithful and humble servant of our Lord and Savior," said Seaman.

"Concordia continues to have a growing number of young people who aspire to live out these words as they prepare for and embrace future callings in healthcare," added Concordia University, Nebraska President Dr. Bernard Bull. "It is hard to imagine a better model of one who demonstrated these words in action as a healthcare worker throughout much of his life. So it is a great joy and honor to have this new endowment named after Dr. Vahle to support and inspire a next generation of people of Christian conviction and genuine care in healthcare."

Cattle Bank & Trust was chartered in 1873 and is headquartered in Seward, making it the second oldest bank charter in the state of Nebraska.

"As a family-owned, community bank we are fully invested in the communities we serve, and we succeed as our communities do," added Seaman. "Community service is a core value of Cattle Bank & Trust, and our employees and their family members invest a significant number of hours annually, serving on various organizations and are involved in numerous community service activities and causes as well. Being the spouse of an owner of the bank, Van has been very involved in the good majority of community service activities and outreach that the bank has been involved in over the years. Wherever Becky was and has been, Van has been, there to support and promote the bank. Even today Van can be seen faithfully helping Becky water the flowers at the bank on the weekends."

Seaman noted Van's storied career as a medical professional serving for 41 years as a general practitioner at Memorial Health Care Systems (MHCS) until his retirement in 2012.

"During his professional career he received a number of awards and recognition including being named the Nebraska Family Physician of the Year by the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians in 2009, the Distinguished Service Award from Concordia University, Nebraska for service to state and community in 2002, Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2004, having hosted and mentored a number of UNMC medical students over the years, many of whom actually lived with the Vahles during their time in Seward, and the Rural Physician of the Year awarded by the Nebraska Rural Health Association in 2010," said Seaman. "After retiring from MHCS in 2012, Van went on to serve as the medical director for Concordia University, a position that he cared for deeply, as he had the opportunity to continue to be involved with young people and to serve."

Seaman shared two personal stories of Van serving his family.

"During his time as a general practitioner, Van was old school, he actually made house calls, serving others 24/7! One Sunday evening when we lived on 5th Street and our children were small, we had a carbon monoxide scare at our home," explained Seaman. "My wife and children were taken to the hospital by John Cattle, Sr. to be observed. John was then our neighbor and was Becky Vahle's father. I stayed back with the fire department to ventilate the house. Later, I anxiously arrived at the hospital ER to find my family in the room along with Dr. Vahle and my 15-month old daughter, Taylor, playing with the oximeter that was supposed to be on her finger."

Seaman's other fond recollection of Van also includes his two young daughters.

"My two daughters were rough housing one Sunday evening and my youngest daughter Taylor split her philtrum open (the area below her nose and above her lip) and needed stitches," he said. "A phone call to the Vahle house and within minutes Dr. Vahle met us down at the back door of the MHCS clinic. Van proceeded to stitch her up, give her a sucker and send us on our way!"

Van grew up in Alma, Nebraska, but always liked Seward. Becky said when he had an offer to practice medicine in Seward, he jumped at the chance. Becky grew up in Seward and is the daughter of the late John Cattle, Sr. and has worked at Cattle Bank off and on her entire life. She currently serves as vice president of the bank.

"Van has been loyal to the Seward community for 54 years," said Becky. "This endowment is such a wonderful way to honor Van and our family. Van received the Concordia University, Nebraska Distinguished Service Award in 2002 and served the students for more than 12 years in student health. He loved working with the students and having that interaction with them. His door was always open. He is the type of person that was born to help others with no regard for personal reward. His motto has always been 'do the right thing.' My parents would be so proud and thrilled that he is receiving this honor. They loved him like a son and thought of him with the utmost respect."

Becky said the Seward community and the university community have always been so important to the Vahle family. At one time, Van played in the Concordia Nebraska community band. He also traveled to Haiti six times with the university providing medical services, teaching and outreach.

The Cattle Bank & Trust Board of Directors, the Vahle family and Seaman and his wife Janet provided the initial funding of the endowment.

"My hopes and prayers are that the Seward and Concordia Nebraska community will further get behind this effort to impact the lives of future health care providers in the name of Dr. Van Vahle," said Seaman. "Van has spent virtually his entire career, over 50 years, serving others within the community of Seward, Concordia and the state of Nebraska."

About Concordia University, Nebraska

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod located in Seward, Nebraska, which currently serves more than 1,700 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

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