Albertina Kerr

Albertina Kerr (née Sechtem; July 13, 1890 – October 17, 1911) was an American philanthropist and the wife of Kerr Glass Company founder Alexander H. Kerr. She is the namesake for the Albertina Kerr Centers in Portland, Oregon, United States, which historically provided care for orphaned children, as well as daycare services for single mothers.

Biography Albertina Sechtem was born in Portland to Louis and Christina Sechtem. Sechtem and Kerr were wed on September 29, 1910. The nursery operated until 1967, when the organization changed to a foster care approach. The original building on Sandy Boulevard was reopened in 1981 as Albertina's Restaurant and Shops. One of the restaurant's signature dishes is a cheesecake served in a 4-ounce Kerr canning jar. Today the Albertina Kerr Centers help people with developmental disabilities–a role the organization took on in the 1980s after the State of Oregon began to make plans to close the Fairview Training Center–and people with behavioral health needs.

Kerr is buried in River View Cemetery.