William N. Odell was educated in the common schools near his home and as a boy was also trained in the work of the farm, thus acquiring a knowledge that has been of great value to him since starting out on his own account. He remained at home until his marriage, which occurred when he was twenty-three years of age. After that event he rented a farm for a year and then purchased forty acres of land in Elk township, where he resided for ten years in a log cabin. He then sold his farm and purchased eighty acres elsewhere in Elk township and removed to his new property. He lived there for twenty years and by degrees added more land to his holdings until he became the owner of one hundred and twenty seven acres. In 1902, however, he sold his land and removed to Greeley, where he purchased a fine residence and where he is now living in retirement from the cares and anxieties of active business life. While engaged in farming he was known as a progressive and energetic agriculturist and his fields yielded abundantly.
     Mr. Odell was married in 1873 to Miss Sarah J. Webster, who was born in Ashland, Ohio, February 22, 1854, and is a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Brandt) Webster, natives of Pennsylvania and Wayne county, Ohio, respectively. In 1867 the family removed to Iowa and located upon a farm in this county, where the father passed away. The mother is still living at the age of eighty three years. To their union were born five children, namely: Mrs. Odell; D. C., of Springfield, Illinois; John A., of Independence; Ida, deceased; and Effa C., the wife of F. S. Marshall, of Idaho.
     Mr. Odell is a republican in his political belief and has served four terms as township trustee, his repeated reelection to that office proving the acceptability of his work. He has also been a member of the school board for a number of years. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and takes an active part in the various phases of church work.