The Story of Consuelo Ornelas-Garcia: Northwest Indiana's First Hispanic Nurse
Consuelo, who went by Connie, was born by the assistance of a midwife in Gary, Indiana in 1922. She was the third of ten children born to Pablo and Frances Ornelas who obtained legal entry into the U.S. from San Francisco del Rincon, Guanajuato, Mexico in 1920. Connie completed her secondary school requirements in three and half years and graduated from Lew Wallace High School.
Influenced by her older brother Joseph Ornelas, M.D., among the first Hispanic physicians in NW Indiana, and steadfast in her belief in challenging the barriers of traditional women’s roles of the period, Connie applied to St. Mary Mercy School of Nursing. Following her acceptance, and in support of the National Defense health activities during WWII, the Hospital’s Director of Nursing invited Connie to enroll in the US Cadet Nurse Corp Program in 1942. Connie received her diploma on September 1, 1945. Upon completing the State Board examination and licensing requirements, Connie became a registered nurse on January 28, 1946.
Shortly thereafter the Superintendent of St. Mary Mercy Hospital, recognizing Connie’s leadership skills and work ethic, offered her a fulltime position as Charge Nurse of the Surgical Floor. Six years later, seeing a professional growth opportunity, Connie accepted the position of Head Nurse of US Steel’s Gary Tube Works.
There she was responsible for the daily operations of the infirmary, assisting and supervising staff to support company compliance with regulations, respond to, treat medical emergencies, and coordinate the transfer of injured steelworkers to local hospitals. Connie and her staff received special praise from US Steel’s Gary Works Head Physician for their response to an April 20, 1983, environmental incident that sent thirty-three employees to her Infirmary. He said in part, “I personally observed them to give…timely care to all the patients which, incidentally, overwhelmed the…facility by their sheer number, while maintaining consistent good humor, professional calm and sincere compassion.”
With a passion and commitment to healthcare, Connie sought to increase her credentials by securing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Connie applied to Indiana University Northwest (IUN). She received a letter of acceptance on March 13, 1958, that indicated IU would grant her nursing credits from St. Mary Mercy upon her satisfactory completion of a residency requirement at Bloomington or Indianapolis. Unable to leave her growing family to meet the residency requirement, she had no choice but to abandon her dream of a formal nursing degree. A few years later US Steel’s Gary Works promoted Connie to Head Nurse of Medical Department at 215 North Broadway, in Gary.
Throughout Connie’s career she held an affiliation with IUN and attended conferences and seminars hosted by the university. Connie maintained active involvement as Vice President with the American Occupational Health Nurses Association Calumet Chapter and St. Mary Mercy Alumni Association.
After 32 years of employment with US Steel, she retired in 1984. In the spring of 1996, she was honored by the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), Northwest Indiana Chapter as the first known Hispanic nurse of Northwest Indiana. She formally received this recognition on April 13, 1996, at formal NAHN gathering at Teibel’s restaurant near her home in St. John. In 2000, the Northwest Indiana Hispanic Nurses’ chapter recognized Connie again for her contributions to the nursing profession and with the help of her daughter, developed a Nursing scholarship in her honor.
Connie passed away in 2004 and donated her body to the Indiana University Anatomical Education Program, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. Approximately two years later, Indiana University returned Connie’s cremains to her daughter Susan, who prepared her final resting place at Calumet Park Cemetery columbarium in Merrillville. Connie lived by her philosophy “if you put your mind to it, you can be anything you want to be.”
Photograph of Consuelo Ornelas-Garcia, CRA 453
Special Thanks
Susan Dzyacky, daughter of Consuelo and author of the One Time Journey: The Ornelas Family's Memories and Milestones. Susan is a co-author of this display and donated her mother's collection to the Calumet Regional Archives.
Hispanic Heritage Month, IUN Planning Subcommittee
