Lorrita Orndorff Memorial

About the Lorrita Orndorff Memorial Scholarship for Nursing: Lorrita Orndorff was born Lorrita Calvert on August 31, 1937, daughter of Eula and Ernest Calvert. Lorrita spent her childhood years growing up in Ft. Scott, Kansas with her twin sister, Annita, and older brother Ernie. The Calvert family moved to El Dorado, Kansas where Lorrita attended El Dorado Junior High at age 14. In 1955, she graduated from El Dorado High School. On her 20th birthday, in 1957, Lorrita married her high school sweetheart, Richard Orndorff. Richard and Lorrita had three children, Casandra, Vernon, and Lorra. Lorrita started working as a nurses aide at the El Dorado Nursing Center that later became Beverly Enterprises. Fifteen years after graduating from high school, Lorrita had a desire to become a registered nurse. She attended Butler County Community College at which time she began working on her Associates Degree in Nursing. Lorrita passed her Kansas State Board of Nursing exam on the first try, and graduated as a registered nurse. She was hired at the Augusta Hospital in Augusta, Kansas working as an emergency room nurse. After a few years of emergency room experience, she left Augusta Hospital and accepted a nursing position at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital in El Dorado, Kansas. She began working on the Obstetrics floor, then moved to surgical floor where she remained until she extended her career as Director of Nursing at Beverly Enterprises, in El Dorado, Kansas. After a few years as the Director of Nursing, she was approached with an offer to teach the Certified Nurses Aide classes at the Long Term Care Center in Augusta, Kansas. Lorrita accepted the offer to teach and in turn, developed the original curriculum for the classes. She helped many young people become successful in their nursing careers. Lorrita maintained an active nursing certification by having taken continuing education units (CEUs) long after her days of nursing. When her husband, Richard, retired she then became a full-time retiree enjoying her adventures, children and grandchildren. Although Lorrita was retired from nursing, family and friends continued to consult her for her medical expertise. She loved helping and caring for others. On February 25, 2010, Lorrita died from complications due to lung cancer. She was a dedicated nurse. Lorrita has a reputation among doctors, colleagues, family and friends as being one of the best.