Lorna C. Schmidt, 80, of Stewartville, Minnesota, passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer, on May 25, 2018, surrounded by her family, in the comfort of her home in Stewartville.

Lorna Cancil Duero was born May 14, 1938, in Iloilo City, Philippines, to Federico and Esperanza (Brasileño) Duero. She grew up in Iloilo City, attending high school and college courses at Central Philippine University, graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She came to Rochester, Minnesota, in 1963 as an exchange nurse for the Mayo Clinic. In Rochester, she met Ervin H. Schmidt and they married in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Aug. 27, 1965. They moved to Stewartville where they raised their family.

Lorna dedicated over 40 years to nursing, including working as a staff nurse, nursing educator, and administrator. She was a clinical instructor at Minnesota Riverland Technical College from 1971-1985. She also served as the director of nursing for Woodside Convalescent Home and as the director of the Practical Nursing Program at the Rochester Community and Technical College. She earned her Masters of Science in Educational Leadership from Winona State University.  Lorna served on the review panel for the NCLEX board exam and was an evaluator for the National League of Nursing. Her lifelong commitment to nursing was recognized in 2005 by Central Philippine University, when they presented her with the Distinguished Centralian Award in Nursing Education, one of 15 awards in their 100-year history. Ervin was a longtime employee at IBM in Rochester until his retirement.

Lorna was an excellent cook, avid reader, loved flowers, and enjoyed being surrounded by her orchids. She was an enthusiastic fan at her grandchildren’s activities, and showered them with love and attention. Lorna’s nurturing heart was apparent to everyone who knew her. She had a knack for sharing the perfect story at the perfect time, was at the ready to comfort you with a kind word, a hug, and a smile, and most importantly, she always had fried rice on the stove!

Lorna is survived by her husband, Ervin; three daughters, Sherry (John) Paulson of Maple Grove, Minnesota,  Barbara (Becky) Schmidt of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Bonnie (Kent) Johnson of Stewartville; one stepdaughter,  Linda (Jim) Jacobson of Wells, Minnesota; four grandchildren, Jordan Johnson, Natalie Paulson, Nathan Johnson and Meredith Paulson; three stepgrandchildren, Ashley Jacobson, Jillian (Yuu) Kurashima and Taylor Jacobson; two brothers and two sisters, Regino (Madela) Duero, Edwin Duero and Evelyn Duero, all of the Philippines, and Dorothy Duero of Montreal, Canada.  She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Jocelyn.

The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 31, 2018, at Zion Lutheran Church in Stewartville with the Rev. Byron Meline officiating. Burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston, Minnesota. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at Griffin- Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville and one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday morning.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mayo Hospice or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. On-line condolences are welcome at www.griffin-gray.com