Sue Ann O’Dell, 78, of Centralia Washington, passed away on Aug. 22, 2023.
Sue Ann, who liked to be called Annie later in life, was born on Oct. 6, 1944, to parents Robert and Roselea Eversman in Muncie, Indiana. Her mother passed away from tuberculosis when she was just 14. She went on to graduate from Ball State University in 1966, married Ronald James O’Dell, of Parker, Indiana, and embarked on an adventure to fulfill a teaching job in Alaska. After a couple of years in Big Lake, Alaska, she became the teacher at the “the little red schoolhouse” in rural Talkeetna, Alaska. The couple lived upstairs, while she taught fischool downstairs for first through eighth grades.
In 1970 and 1974, she adopted her sons, Thomas Anthony O’Dell and Cory James O’Dell, from the Catholic services in Anchorage, Alaska, and brought them to a freshly built log cabin at mile 10 of the Spur Road in Talkeetna. She experienced many rural Alaska adventures while raising her sons with husband, Ron, until the couple divorced in 1985.
From 1985 to 1992, Annie lived with her sons in Chehalis, Washington, seeing them both graduate from W.F. West High School. Annie then traveled the United States while taking several teaching positions before finally retiring in Centralia, Washington.
Annie is survived by both her sons.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Lewis County Gospel Mission shelter.
There will be a ceremony to disperse Annie’s ashes in Talkeetna, Alaska.
