Fred O'Dell

Funeral services for Fred O'Dell, 97, of Chariton will be Thursday, October 28, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton. Interment will be at the Goshen Cemetery.

Family will receive friends on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton.

You may join Fred's family via livestream at https://my.gather.app/remember/fred-o-dell

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Fred's family and will be designated to several causes and charities that he supported.

Frederick William O’Dell was born on March 13, 1924, the fourth of six children born to John William and Zenobia (Linn) O’Dell. He was raised in Seward, Nebraska until his mother passed away at the tender age of four. At that time, he went to live with his aunt. Years later, when Fred was in junior high, he went back to live with his father.

On April 28, 1943, Fred joined the United States Army where he fought in World War II. During his assignment in Texas, he helped transport prisoners of war across the state. He was then trained as a medic in Springfield, Missouri. When his unit was deployed to Europe, Fred was in the hospital with appendicitis. Later he was stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. After the war ended, Fred was discharged from the Army on March 18, 1946. He served his country with honor.

After serving in the Army, Fred worked in Nebraska for a gas station and at Hughes Brothers. An opportunity to work at Stone Cordage in Chariton presented itself, and he moved to Iowa. Later he worked for the city of Chariton, Francis Ryan, and as a welder and machinist at Johnson Machine Works. The move to Iowa also brought him closer to his sisters. On December 20, 1949, Fred married Virginia Querrey. They were blessed with three girls: Avis, Audrey, and Ann. They loved to host family dinners and spend time with family. Virginia passed away in June 1965. Later. he married Grace Moss on January 17, 1968. They shared many wonderful years together until Grace passed in May 2016.

At the age of 14, Fred made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He was a very devout Christian. Every day started with prayer. Fred was humble, calm, caring, and personable. You could not have met a more kind and gentle soul. He believed in having the inner strength to do what was right with no fear or blame.

Fred was extremely intelligent and good at making things from wood. He made beautiful tables and chairs, and doll beds for his girls. You could often find slips of paper lying around with sketches, drawings, and dimensions of things he was planning to build. He was a firm believer in fixing things instead of replacing them. Just last week he repaired his garage door by replacing all the panels.

Fred made sure his children were able to be children. He shielded them from the hardships of life. Children loved him, and he loved to entertain them. On camping trips, he was known as “The Pancake Man” and he ensured everyone had their share. You could often find Fred playing with his grandchildren, just like he did with his own girls. His grandchildren honored him, and he led them by example. It was important for Fred to share his faith with his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Fred loved history and learning. He incorporated that love into the family vacations. Typically, he would take the family west for weeks at a time, using the money he had earned by doing snow removal. Also, once a month, he would travel to Council Bluffs to visit his daughter, Audrey.

Fred, or “Grandpa Dell” as his family called him, will be greatly missed by his children: Avis and Steve Goben, Audrey and Pat Berrigan, Ann and Donnie Hamilton; his grandchildren: James and Darlene Goben, Brooke and Mark Grossinger, Tim and Ginger Goben, Brett Budzinski, Kyle and Mandy Hamilton, Nick and Janell Hamilton, Haley and Steve Kline; his 19 great grandchildren; a sister, Caroline (Walter) Faulconer; and many friends and relatives.