Grace Kuhl

Grace G. Kuhl was born on August 1st, 1941 in Trufant, MI, to Rev William and Dagmar (Kildebeck) Goldbeck, moving soon after to Juniata, NE. Her family later moved to Hastings, where her parents created the Good Samaritan Village, and she attended Hastings High school. She earned her undergraduate degree in social work from St. Olaf collage and subsequently her MSW from the University of MN after briefly being in Omaha for a program at Creighton University, where she met Roger W. Kuhl. They were married in 1965 in Omaha and had three children, Stephen, Jennifer and Vince.

Grace was an incredible mother— loving, playful and creative. She loved her children and being a mother more than anything in the world…. along with later being a grandmother which she cherished and soaked-in. Grace was a professional woman beginning in the 1960s, when not a lot of women were. Raised in a Lutheran family steeped in social service, her parents lived their belief that “you find where the need is, and serve there.” She was a feminist and part of an amazing Womens group of social workers who became close friends and continued to meet regularly for forty years.

In the 1970s and 80s, she was a social worker and therapist for Family Services at Immanuel Hospital, Richard Young Regional Center, and later in a Psychiatry office. Beginning in those years she also passionately worked with the Nebraska AIDS project, a community program addressing loneliness, and the Nebraska team for Faith at Work (Lumenos) facilitating small group training and retreats. During the 80’s she made the leap into private practice as a highly regarded psychotherapist in Omaha for over three decades.

She traveled extensively with many different family and extended family members, and with friends. She frequently said during her 60’s, that she was so grateful for the life that she had and that she felt that it was all “bonus, from here on out.” She had more time to do all that she wanted to do and much of that was being with her two grand children, Sean and Gabrielle (Elle). She was a big part of their lives from the beginning and was the best at creating games and projects and exploring and playing, when they walked to her house after school.

She didn’t take herself too seriously. She had a great sense of humor and so enjoyed how close the family was and how much we laughed together. Her extraordinary spirit found humor and joy until the very end of her long journey with Alzheimers.

Her spirit was indomitable and her soul and wisdom, profound. Our mom loved us powerfully. We all know that. She also loved her back yard, and nature and being silly! She loved the earth and she loved human beings—her clients, sisters and friends, the feel of being part of large groups of people coming together—whether in church or at a parade. She shed many tears along the way, hoping and longing for peace in the world. You are always and everywhere with us, and in us mom. May we all share peace.

Grace was preceded in death by her parents, husband Roger Kuhl, sister Dorcas Campbell and brothers Phil and Paul Goldbeck. She is survived by her children Stephen (Pia) Kuhl, Jennifer Kuhl (Mike Seevers), and Vincent (Kara) Kuhl, all of Omaha, grandchildren Sean (Sarah) Kuhl of Madison, WI and Gabrielle Kuhl (Omaha), sisters Ruth Swingle (Hastings) and Elizabeth Blayney (Omaha) and brother Jim Goldbeck (Log Pine) and several nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 10:00 am at First United Methodist Church of Omaha, 7020 Cass St, Omaha, Nebraska 68132, followed by a luncheon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Urban Abbey or Heifer International.