Masons have always had an obligation to aid and assist needy and distressed brother Master Masons, their wives, widows, mothers, sisters and daughters, and grandmothers and granddaughters. The Masons of Nebraska defined that obligation to include shelter, food, clothing, health services and burial for qualified members of the fraternity and their eligible female relatives. The Nebraska Masonic Home was incorporated in 1888 and established on September 1, 1903 in Plattsmouth, Nebraska.
Since opening the doors in 1903, The Home has focused on creating a gracious, dignified lifestyle for its members. Through the years The Home has evolved from the original three story, 16-room private home to the current facility. We have 35 apartments/units that offer comfort and security to our residents. The Second Floor of the Spencer Wing houses 19 private rooms in our Assisted Living Center where 24-hour nursing care is available if needed to these residents. On the Third Floor of the Spencer Wing is our Nursing Facility Care Center where four levels of care are provided. For those residents requiring more extended care and continuous monitoring, our Alzheimer's/Dementia Special Care Unit is available to those residents that have special needs and are ambulatory. The specialized care that is provided to the residents with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia-related illnesses in the self-contained, living environment will greatly improve the quality of life for these residents.
The Home is a private non-profit corporation under the laws of Nebraska. The Home was to be available for indigent, elderly Nebraska Master Masons and those women that might become dependent on them. During the intervening years, new buildings have been erected and new services added to better meet the needs of our membership and changing times.
- New buildings were added in 1924 and again in 1952. An addition was added in 1962 for a laundry and modern air conditioning. In 1978 a section was re-modeled into rental apartments for those capable of independent living.
- Ten years later, in 1988, the Spencer Wing was constructed and opened in March, 1989 to house those residents needing the twenty-four hour care of professional nurses. The vacated 1952 wing infirmary was converted into additional apartments and new administrative offices in 1991.
- In June of 2000, the Alzheimers/Dementia Special Care Unit was opened. The unit provides a very special environment for 14 residents with private rooms.
Every Mason, friends of The Home, and many Masonic affiliated organizations help provide funds for daily operational expenses. True to its original purpose, The Masonic Home endures as a testament to the thoughtful concern and lasting loyalty that make the community of Freemasons unique.
The Home has made changes, as needed, to provide the finest care available for those choosing The Nebraska Masonic Home as their place of residence.