Allene Nelson Henderson Memorial Scholarship

Both Loraine Nelson Shulze and Allene Nelson Henderson were born near the turn of the century in rural Kansas. Spending their youth on the farm with eight other siblings, the children developed a strong appreciation for country life and family togetherness.

Allene Henderson worked hard on the farm after her brothers left for school, continuing the task of milking cows, caring for stock and assisting during hay season. After graduating from El Dorado High School, she attended the University of Kansas for one year and later graduated from the Halstead Hospital School of Nursing. Mrs. Henderson went on to qualify in anesthesiology and worked in that profession until she was almost 70 years of age. Allene Henderson, an astonishingly hardworking nurse, offered all she could to her mother, friends and relatives before passing away in January, 1972.

Allene s sister, Loraine, developed a love for music at an early age. After gaining her teaching certificate, she taught music to high school students. Her devotion to farm life and her large family resulted in her assembly of a family exhibit given to the Butler County Historical Museum in El Dorado in 1976. Mrs. Shulze established the Allene Nelson Henderson Memorial Scholarship to memorialize her sister.