Mrs. ALF (Barbara Irvin John) ODEGAARD 1921-2007
ODEGAARD, IRVIN, JOHN, HESLOP, SCHMIDT
Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 12/4/2007 at 10:56:39
Barbara Odegaard
Barbara J. Odegaard, 86, of St. Cloud, MN passed away Wednesday, October 24, 2007 in St. Cloud, MN. Funeral Services were held Monday, October 29 at Atonement Lutheran Church, St. Cloud, MN, with Rev. Alan Bjorklund officiating. Interment will be in Old East Paint Creek Cemetery in rural Waterville.
Barbara Irvin John was born March 12, 1921 in Wausau, WI to Edward Thayer and Byrdena Lucille (Irvin) John. She attended elementary school in Milwaukee, WI, Muskegon, MI and Clinton. She attended high school in Effingham, IL and graduated from Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN in 1938. She graduated from Iowa State University in Ames in 1942 with a B.S. Degree in Textiles and Clothing. She was elected to Psi Chi, an honorary Psychology Society in 1942.
Barbara married Alf Thorson Odegaard February 19, 1943 in Minneapolis, MN. She lived in various cities during WWII while her husband was in the service of his country. After the war, the family lived in Ames, Mankato, MN, Marshall, MN and moved back to Mankato, where they resided from 1956 until July of 2001. They moved to St. Cloud, MN in July 2001 to be closer to some of their children.
While residing in Mankato, Barbara was involved with many of her children's school activities, including PTA president, Camp Fire and Girl Scout leader and Cub Scout Den mother. She served as Election Judge for many years in the Village of Skyline (Mankato). She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mankato, where she was active in church Circles, Women's Guild, and Kitchen chairperson for 10 years, serving many dinners and receptions during that time. She became a member of Atonement Lutheran Church and Elizabeth Circle after her move to St. Cloud.
She was a life member of the Entre Nous Study Club, a life member of AAUW, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Mayflower Society. Barbara loved her family, reading and traveling. She and her husband traveled all over the United States, several Canadian provinces, foreign countries in Europe, and in the South Pacific. Many of the trips she joyfully planned included her children and grandchildren. Many Christmas holidays were spent together in Florida and one in Hawaii. She instilled the love of travel in her family - and in 1997 planned a trip to Norway for 16 family members.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents; her sister; and a granddaughter, Stephanie Schmidt. She is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Alf; her four children, Judy (Steve) Heslop of Pequot Lakes, Susan (Terry) Schmidt of St. Cloud, Louise of Reno, NV, and John (Barbara) of Purcellville, VA; grandchildren Jennifer (John) Japel of Livermore, CA, Katie (Shane) McCarthy of Phoenix, AZ, Jackie Heslop of Woodridge, IL, and Katherine, Adam and Lauren Odegaard of Purcellville, VA; and her great-grandchildren, Tyler and Jack Japel of Livermore, CA.
The Waukon Standard, October 31, 2007
______________________________________The Allamakee Co. connection isn't apparent in this obituary, but because it appeared in the Waukon paper, there most certainly is a connection. If anyone can provide Barbara's tie to Allamakee co., please contact the Allamakee co. coordinator so the information can be added to this obit.
____________________________________12/4/07 - a fast response from Grace (Benjegerdes) Keir in MN, giving the very probable Allamakee co. connection ... Grace wrote:
"I googled Alf Odegaard and found one listing from a 1932 newspaper with Waterville school news where his name is mentioned. I think that he might have been the connection. There was one listing for Alf Odegaard in Mankato as a 25 year member of the Sons of Norway group.
And Barbara's obit was in the Mankato paper as I remember it because she had a Textiles and Clothing degree from Iowa State. I also had that
undergraduate major at ISU so it caught my eye."____________
Added by Tara Reisinger on July 17, 2011:
Barbara married Alf Odegaard. Alf was born and raised in Allamakee County, Center Township. His brother would have been Raymond Odegard (Odegaard), another obituary from OE and Allamakee that I came across. Alf still lives in St. Cloud and recently celebrated his 95th birthday (2011).
Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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