Ernest Orahood

Memorial Service:  Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at 11:00 a.m.
                                  Place:  United Methodist Church

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, April 2nd, 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in La Junta with Rev. Dr. MJ Romano officiating for long-time resident Ernest Orahood, 96, who passed away after a brief illness on Saturday, March 9th in Roswell, New Mexico.

Ernest, or “Ernie” as he was called by friends, was born on May 18, 1916, in Chickasha, Oklahoma to Robert Vern and Ethel Mae Keith Orahood, the third of five children. Their early childhood was spent playing in the woods near their home, the Moberly Place, and attending the Timber Hill school, a two room schoolhouse for about 40 elementary and 20 high school students, much like the schoolhouse he helped recreate at the Otero Museum. His parents moved the family to Rocky Ford in 1922, and he lived in this area for most of his life. He graduated from Rocky Ford High, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Western State College in Gunnison in 1940. During his forty year career in education he also continued post-graduate classes, and received a Masters of School Administration from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington in 1956.

His partner in this learning adventure was his wife of forty-five years, Ruby, the “salad girl” he met when both of them worked in the Western State College cafeteria kitchen. They were married in 1940 as soon as he received his first paycheck for teaching in Eckert, Colorado. They moved back to Rocky Ford the following year, when he became the principal and 7th and 8th grade teacher in Newdale for two years.

During the war he worked as a draftsman for Consolidated Vultee making B-24 bombers in San Diego, California. In 1946 the family moved from San Diego back to La Junta, where Ernie was a math and science teacher at Herren Junior High, working for the school district during the summers, building the OJC gym and West Elementary. He also began using those drafting skills in the community, volunteering his services over his lifetime to design school buildings and furniture, athletic fields, parks and school grounds, greenhouses, church fellowship halls, museum buildings, a horse barn and blacksmith shop, windmills, canoes and a sailboat, the family home and greenhouse, five grandfather clocks, eight cedar chests, and many other projects that needed his talents.

In 1952 he became principal of Park School, then added the new South School to his responsibilities in 1955. With the tireless assistance of Vera Shand, he turned the barren Park School grounds into an inviting shady playground. At South he built his first of four greenhouses and remodeled the entry and office area in a design that was adopted by the other Colorado schools built from that plan.

When he became principal at East Elementary in 1972, he once again transformed the playground into a park, adding a track, football and baseball fields, his second school greenhouse, countless trees, a nursery, and large grassy areas for students and neighbors to enjoy. The city honored his amazing efforts in 1980 by naming the grounds “Orahood Park.” Trees and shrubs from that nursery were planted by him all over town—at schools, city buildings and parks, the La Junta and Higbee cemeteries, and by community patrons. He constructed his third school greenhouse at the La Junta High School, and every year on Arbor Day, he involved the school children and community in promoting the greening of America by planting trees. His work on La Junta’s Tree Board helped the city obtain the prestigious “Tree City USA” designation for many years.

His appreciation of the clear Southwestern starry skies prompted him to learn more about astronomy, and after grinding his own lens to make a telescope in 1958, he began teaching students and adults about the heavens during night time star parties and daytime sunspot and solar eclipse viewings. He always thought of Nature as God’s church, which we needed to understand, respect and protect; and he encouraged good stewardship of the land. He also served his personal church by singing in the choir for over 25 years, contributing to the building of the present church building, building playground equipment for the children, and installing the bell from the church on Third and Santa Fe to its present location so it could be rung once again on July 4th, 1976, by his wife Ruby, to celebrate America’s Bicentennial.

He worked hard for the community Urban Renewal projects, the local Cancer Society, getting the new Senior Center built, and the Higbee Cemetery documented to be placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. For years he trained Boy Scouts in camping, archery, and boating, and took them out to see the dinosaur tracks on the historic Rourke Ranch. During his 70s and 80s he became an official tour guide of the U.S. Forest Service, leading public tours of the ranch (his son-in-law Bob Sabin’s family homestead), imparting his knowledge of the geology, biology, and history of the area, as well as sharing the wonder of the dinosaurs who left their footprints along the Purgatory River.

During the presentation of the 1987 Community Service Award, City Manager Carmen Sarlo said,”Ernie always sets his goals high. He thrives on people and activities, but also on solitude and reflection. He has volunteered countless hours to the community, but has always been first and foremost a family man.” He was a loving husband to Ruby, a father who challenged his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and his students to always look for new adventures, to always search for new interesting ideas to explore and master, and new things to build and create. He always encouraged people to make the world better than they found it—whether it was picking up trash on a hike, or building a museum to keep alive our knowledge of the past.

His long-time friend and educator, the late Dr. William McDivitt, explained Ernie’s gift: “He can always make do with little, and make a lot out of it. He was super, he was kind. He treated children like adults but cautioned parents and teachers not to always expect adult achievements from them because they were learning. He left the community better than he found it….Ernie is one whose memory will be a benediction.” Thousands of young people passed through his life and he found value in each and every one, and encouraged them to grow and thrive and never quit learning. Wherever he went, ex-students would come over to greet “Mr. Orahood,” knowing he would still be interested in their lives and what they were doing.

Ernie loved kids, and always encouraged those at a disadvantage scholastically or economically. He hadn’t been a strong student as a youngster, but his family placed great value in learning, and worked hard—often several jobs at a time—to get their respective professional degrees. After retirement Ernie endowed a permanent Otero-Western State College Scholarship fund to give financial assistance to new college students every year, forever. His life’s work of community service was honored by Colorado Governor Bill Owen in 2002, who presented him with the prestigious Colorado Cares Centennial Award for a lifetime of service to Colorado, his community, and its citizens.

Over Ernie’s 96 years he has blessed many lives and they have blessed his, including his family and many friends. His father and mother, Vern and Ethel, and his four siblings—Carolyn Jane Orahood Burt, and Harley Allison, John Earl and Robert Vern Jr. Orahood-- all preceded him in death. Ernie and Ruby’s son David also preceded him in death. Ernie is survived by their daughter Kathryn and son-in-law Robert E. Sabin, and their two children: Michael and wife Maria Sabin and their son Andrew; and Michelle and her husband Mike and their three children, Marc, Jordin, and Julie. He is also survived by his brothers’ families. His brother John’s children all live in Arizona: Becky Orahood of Young, and Ted Orahood and Valerie Price and her husband John and their children Cory and Shannon from Prescott. His youngest brother Bob’s three children are: Patty and husband Don and their daughter Claire from Los Angeles; Pam and her husband Steve and their children Nathaniel and Stephanie, all in the Seattle, Washington area; and Teresa Lorenz from Gardena, California. His brother Harley’s children, Richard and Larry, are both deceased.

Ernie also leaves behind countless wonderful friends, especially his Otero Museum co-worker Don Lowman and his wife Gracia, and the late Frieda Steed and her four sons and their families: Frank and his wife Letha, and their two children—Elizabeth, and Allison and her husband Mike and their son Rylan; Clint and his wife Leitha, and their two children Courtney and Jared; and Matt and his wife Vanessa and their three children, Laura, Lindsay, and Lacy; and Stephen, deceased.

The family wishes to give special thanks to Dr. Richard Shand and his staff, Sharon Benton and Tanya Piker and the beautiful young women of Roswell’s Beehive Home who provided him with such warm and loving care.

The Reverend MJ Romano, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, will preside over the memorial services, which will be followed by a luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. All areas are handicap accessible.

Honorary pallbearers will be Don Lowman, Jon Kolomitz, Nancy Baker, Frank Steed, Clint Steed, Matt Steed, Mack Burtis, Alvin Bender, Calvin Kennedy, Marilyn Miller Mast, Norman Miller, Darrell Nimmo, Barbara Pantier Hendrie, Dortha Carnel Johnson, Norman Fleischacker, and Charles Jones.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Otero Museum, 706 W. 3rd St. La Junta, Colorado 81050.

Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.