| Mary Lou Craig O'Dell, of Spencer, West Virginia, passed away April 8, 2015 at the age of 84 after a long illness.
She was born in Reedy, West Virginia to Fred E. and Georgia Smith Craig. From the time she was a small child, she helped the family publish The Reedy News until its final edition in 1949.
After graduating from Spencer High School in 1948, she immediately went to work at First National Bank of Spencer, where she was employed until her retirement in December 1995. She was a member of Memorial United Methodist Church of Spencer, where she sang in the choir for many years. She engaged in many types of handiwork such as quilting and needlepoint, and made dozens of quilts with friends and family. She served on the Roane County Library Board, was a member of the Hill and Hollow Garden Club, and of the Red Hat Society.
She loved to travel with friends and family, and would often go to the area between Sugarcreek and Millersburg, Ohio, where she frequented the quilt shops and visited friends in the Amish community there.
She attended many of the traditional music festivals and old-time square dances of West Virginia, not only for the music, but also for the friends she made in the music and dance community. She especially enjoyed the mountain dulcimer, which she sometimes played and often sang along as her son played the instrument for her.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, James R. O'Dell; their son James David O'Dell, his wife Connie and their son Nathan Stout of Glenville; her brother Robert S. Craig of Charleston, and sister-in-law Kay Craig of Saint Albans. She also is survived by three nieces, one nephew, two great-nieces, two great-nephews, and a great-great niece. She was preceded in death by her brother, W. Frederick Craig of Saint Albans.
Friends may visit at the TAYLOR-VANDALE FUNERAL HOME in Spencer from 6-8 pm on Saturday, April 11. The funeral will be Sunday, April 12 at 2 pm with burial following at the O'Dell Family Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association and the Roane County Library. |
