John D. Orris, LCS ’78, passed away on June 21, 2016, in his home.
After receiving his MDiv at Lincoln Christian Seminary, he was a youth minister at the Church of Christ in Austin before moving to Rochester in 1981 with his former wife, Debra M. Orris (Harwick), and son, Steven J. Orris. He worked at Barlow’s grocery store for a few years, took classes in computer sciences at Winona State College, and worked at the Christian Book and Gift Store before being employed by Olmstead County in 1989, where he retired after 25 years due to medical reasons. John enjoyed reading books on philosophy and theology, visiting Olmstead County parks, maintaining the Friends of Oxbow website and newsletters and helping people with computer problems. A memorial service was held at the Marion Church of Christ in Rochester, with a graveside service at Grandview Memorial Gardens in Rochester. He was preceded in death by his son, his parents, and three siblings. He is survived by three sisters.