Mrs. Carrie Bright Odell, wife of General W. H. Odell, passed away at the age of 85 years [July 4, 1919], yesterday morning at 10:45 o’clock at one of the local hospitals after suffering a stroke of paralysis. She was taken ill at her home in Portland and was brought to Salem two weeks ago yesterday for special medical care.
Mrs. Odell was born in Ohio, July 29, 1834, and when she was but a small girl her mother died after which she went to live with the Dr. Waters family in Kentucky, where she grew to womanhood. In her early life she taught school. She married Dr. Gynem Taylor, who died in 1888, and in 1894 she was married to General Odell, when she came to Salem, where he was president of the board of trustees at Willamette University.
Immediately she took an intense interest in the activities of the university and did many things to help in the good of the institution. At one time she was head of the young women’s boarding hall and gave untiringly of her time and money for the uplift of the hall.
Mrs. Odell was a very intellectual woman and possessed many sterling qualities. Devoting her life to helping others and the good she could do she made an endless number of friends who thought of her as a most loyal friend. A few years ago she and General Odell moved to Portland, where she was living at the time she was taken ill. She leaves besides her husband, no children of her own but many people who because of her interest in heart and her kindness toward them think of her as a mother.
The body is at the Rigdon parlors and funeral arrangements will be made later when word is received from relatives in eastern states.
Contributed by: Shelli Steedman