Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Nebraska County
Thurston County, Nebraska
The Omaha and Winnebago tribal nations - from the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska (the Omaha people - whose name gives the state's largest city its name - maintain their tribal homeland on the Omaha Reservation in Thurston County, with tribal government, cultural programs, and the annual Omaha Tribal Powwow preserving the nation's heritage) to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska (the Ho-Chunk Nation's Nebraska branch maintains the Winnebago Reservation adjacent to the Omaha Reservation - together the two tribal nations make Thurston County one of Nebraska's most significant Native American communities, with tribal enterprises including the Ohiya Casino).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Thurston County Emergency Management – Pender, NE 68047; Thurston County Law Enforcement Center handles non-emergency calls at (402) 385-6210.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: Nebraska Highway 9 and US Highway 20 serve Pender, the county seat, in northeast Nebraska
Transit: The village of Emerson, in the county’s northwest corner, is genuinely Nebraska’s only tri-county community, with sections platted across Thurston, Dixon, and Dakota Counties along Main Street, itself a state highway.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Thurston County Clerk – 106 5th St, PO Box 159, Pender, NE 68047, (402) 385-2343 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM–5 PM
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Thurston County Veterans Service Officer – Pender, NE
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: House Memorial Public Library – 220 Thurston Avenue, Pender, NE 68047
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Thurston County, established in 1889 and named for U.S. Senator John M. Thurston, is genuinely unique among Nebraska’s 93 counties: nearly its entire land area lies within two sovereign Native nations, the Omaha Reservation and the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Reservation, whose combined territory comprises the county’s full geographic footprint. Villages including Winnebago, Macy, Walthill, and Thurston serve as important cultural and governmental centers for the Omaha and Winnebago Tribes, whose presence and leadership shaped the region long before Nebraska statehood; the Omaha Tribe’s seat of government is in Macy, while the Winnebago Tribe’s is in the village of Winnebago. Notably, when Nebraska legislators first attempted to formally name the county “Blackbird” in 1887, in honor of historic Omaha Chief Blackbird, Governor John Thayer vetoed the proposal, and the county was instead named for Senator Thurston two years later. The county seat of Pender also once faced a serious challenge from the rival town of Walthill, which sued unsuccessfully over the county’s courthouse leasing arrangement in a case that ultimately reached the Nebraska Supreme Court
Notes: Thurston County’s status as the only Nebraska county lying almost entirely within tribal reservation land, home to both the Omaha and Winnebago Nations, makes it one of the state’s most culturally distinctive counties.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Thurston County GIS – accessible via thurstoncountyne.gov (gWorks mapping platform)
Parcel Search: Thurston County Treasurer – 106 South 5th Street, Pender, NE 68047, (402) 385-3058
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Thurston County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated animal shelter confirmed within Thurston County, Nebraska – flagged honestly (note: a “Pender County Animal Shelter” exists but is located in Pender County, North Carolina, an unrelated jurisdiction – Thurston County’s own seat is also named Pender, so take care not to confuse the two).
Contact: Thurston County Law Enforcement Center – (402) 385-6210, handles animal-related calls.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy – dee.nebraska.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Thurston County is genuinely unique in Nebraska, lying almost entirely within the Omaha and Winnebago Reservations, and its naming history includes a governor’s veto of a proposed “Blackbird County” designation. No dedicated county animal shelter was confirmed – note that a similarly named “Pender County Animal Shelter” is actually located in North Carolina, not Nebraska. All contact information above was sourced from official county, state, and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Thurston County
Thurston County is Nebraska’s tribal nations county – the Omaha and Winnebago reservations encompass most of Thurston County, making it Nebraska’s most significant Native American homeland and the place where the people who gave Omaha its name maintain their ancestral territory.
Macy (population ~1,000) and Walthill (population ~800) are the primary communities on the reservations. Pender (the county seat, population ~1,100) serves county governmental needs.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Thurston County Assessor at 106 S. 5th Street, Pender, NE 68047, phone 402-385-3010. NE property assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Thurston County District Court at 106 S. 5th Street, Pender, NE 68047, phone 402-385-3010, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
106 S. 5th St., Pender, NE 68047
(402) 385-2343
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Thurston County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Two NRHP-listed historic courthouse buildings in Pender are notable local landmarks.
Local societies
No dedicated Thurston County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Thurston County Court, Probate Division 106 South 5th Street (mail: P.O. Box 129), Pender, NE 68047 (402) 385-3318
Thurston County was founded in 1889, named for Senator John Mellen Thurston, in northeastern Nebraska, seated in Pender. Two NRHP-listed courthouse buildings – the First Thurston County Courthouse and the current Thurston County Courthouse (a converted 1895 school) – are both in Pender.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Nebraska adopted the Uniform Probate Code, codified as the Nebraska Probate Code (Neb. Rev. Stat. Chapter 30). In Nebraska, the COUNTY COURT has exclusive original jurisdiction over probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 for personal property; § 30-24,129 for real property) – as of a July 2024 statutory amendment, available when personal property does not exceed $100,000 and real property does not exceed $100,000 (both thresholds raised from $50,000). At least 30 days must have passed since death, and no application or petition for a personal representative may be pending. For personal property, the affiant presents a notarized affidavit directly to the institution holding the property along with a certified death certificate. For real property, the affidavit is filed with the register of deeds in the county where the property is located.
Informal Probate – the most common path for uncontested estates, handled by the county court registrar with minimal judicial involvement.
Formal Probate – required when there’s no will, when a will’s validity is contested, or when there’s disagreement over the personal representative or how assets should be distributed. Handled by a county judge.
Step 2: filing for formal or informal probate
File an application (informal) or petition (formal) with the County Court in the county where the decedent resided.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gives direct notice to known creditors, who have a limited window from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories the estate’s assets and completes the required Probate Inventory Worksheet.
The personal representative completes and files any required Nebraska inheritance tax paperwork before the estate can be closed.
After debts, taxes, and expenses are paid, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and closes the estate.
What it costs
Nebraska does not set statutory percentage-based fees; personal representative and attorney fees are generally based on reasonable compensation for time and services.
UNIQUE TO NEBRASKA: Nebraska is one of only six states with an inheritance tax, collected at the COUNTY level. Transfers to a surviving spouse are exempt; close relatives get reduced rates; more distant relatives and unrelated beneficiaries are taxed at higher rates.
No separate state estate tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
106 S. 5th St., Pender, NE 68047
(402) 385-3355
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
106 S. 5th St., Pender, NE 68047
(402) 385-2343
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
NE DHHS — Thurston
(402) 385-2264
Winnebago Indian Health Service
ihs.gov (Winnebago — serves tribal members)
Omaha Tribe Health
omahatribe.com (Macy — serves tribal members)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services local office – 415 Main St, Pender, NE 68047, (402) 385-2201
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Pender
Population: 7,000
Area: 394 sq mi
Established: 1889
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Thurston County residents.
