EXHIBIT 31(b)

CERTIFICATION

I, Brian M. Pribyl, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of National Western Life Insurance Company;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
     to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under
     which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this
     report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
     flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining
     disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and
     internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))
     for the registrant and have:

     a)   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and
     procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to
     the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
     entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

     b)   Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over
     financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance
     regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
     external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

     c)   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in
     this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of
     the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

     d)   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
     occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal
     quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
     materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of
     internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
     registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

     a)   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control
      over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
      record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     b)   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a
     significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 13, 2004	/S/ Brian M. Pribyl
	Name:  Brian M. Pribyl
	Title:  Senior Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, and
	Treasurer