Gail Odem

Gail G. Odem, 87, a long-time Atlantic, Iowa resident, passed away Saturday, December 29, 2001, at the Atlantic Nursing & Rehab Center.The son of Aden (Dick) and Eulala (Mills) Odem, he was born May 6, 1914 in Atlantic. He attended Atlantic schools and was married to Beulah Scherdin on September 16, 1937 at Ozark, Missouri. After the passing of his first wife, he later married Helen Crawford on January 4, 1978 in Branson, Missouri. Gail was a carpenter and lived most of his life in Atlantic. He was a member of the Atlantic Volunteer Fire Department for 39 years, Fire Chief for two years, Deputy State Fire Marshall for 21 years and was a graduate of Perdue University Arson School. He was Past President of the Iowa Fireman's Association and the Atlantic J.C.C. Gail was a member of the First United Methodist Church and a member of the Elks Lodge #445.He is survived by his wife Helen; a daughter Judith Moore and husband Jim of Marysville, California; three grandchildren, Justin, Kallee and Nikki and three great-grandchildren all of Marysville, California; two sisters, Avis Coomes of Atlantic and Esta Robinson of Grand Junction, Colorado; one step-son Jim Crawford and wife Elaine of St. Louis, Missouri; one step-daughter Janet Clark and husband Gary of Pryor, Oklahoma and several nieces and nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Beulah; his brother Arleigh Odem and his sister-in-law Dorothy Odem.Funeral InformationServices for Gail will be held on Thursday, January 3, 2002, at 1:30 P.M. at the Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic, Iowa with Rev. Tompsie Smith of the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic officiating. Interment will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.