The Woman Who Thousands Called “Mom”: Alberta Kuklish

In 1949, Alberta Kuklish sold her home in Ord, Nebraska, and moved to Lincoln. Her husband had recently died, and she was looking for work.  

Alberta couldn’t believe her eyes when she found an advertisement in the paper to be a housemother at CEDARS Home for Children. Alberta applied and was offered the position, complete with room and board for her and her young son, Gordon, plus $30 a month. 

For more than three decades, thousands of kids fondly called Alberta “Mom.” Mom Kuklish made CEDARS a safe place where kids could explore and grow. She offered them support, encouragement, and most importantly, love.  

“Mostly, my job is to see that kids are as happy as it is possible to be in a home where they must face a new situation. Of course, they need good food, clothes, and pleasant surroundings. We see that they get that, but we know it’s not enough. Children need to feel worthwhile, that they have friends, and can be a friend,” Mom Kuklish wrote in 1965. 

The CEDARS Board of Trustees noted early on that a home for children could easily become an institution. They credited Mom Kuklish and her staff for creating an atmosphere of love and understanding where every kid mattered. 

Mom Kuklish served the kids of CEDARS from 1949 until her retirement in 1985. Even after she retired, she was still known as “Mom” to many kids at CEDARS. When she died in 1992, her passing touched many hearts, including those she helped raise and the friends and supporters she had known along the way.  

We are forever grateful for Alberta’s love, compassion, and care for every child who called CEDARS home.