Emil William Odelberg
Marriages
Ernestine Louise Redfield - March 14, 1952
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3C - September 26, 2010
Grand Junction, died Sept.
23, 2010, at Hospice Care Center.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m.
Thursday at First Church of the
Nazarene. Inurnment will be
at 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial
Cemetery.
Mr. Odelberg was a yard man
in the lumber business.
Survivors include his two
sons, Mark Willliam of Grand
Junction and Victor Dale of
Wheat Ridge; one daughter,
Coni Wolfe of Cedaredge; two
brothers, David of Grand Junction
and Willis of Midwest City,
Okla.; two sisters, Norma Pace
of Grand Junction, Ella Harris
of Seattle; fi ve grandchildren;
and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions to
Hospice & Palliative Care of
Western Colorado, 3090B North
12th St., Grand Junction 81506.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7B - September 28, 2010
A true love story, rare and precious,
is not confined to the realm
of Hollywood. This true love
story-this legacy-was observed
and witnessed by their three children,
family members, countless other friends and neighbors, and
even those who knew them only briefly or in passing. Perhaps you
are among these. Emil and Ernie's love story began sometime in the
time following WWII . . . but let us first retrace a few years.
Emil William Odelberg was born in Cozad, Nebraska, on November
20, 1916, to Emil Oscar Odelberg who emigrated from Sweden
at the age of 17 and Anna Johana (Andersen) Odelberg, the daughter
of Danish immigrants. In early 1920, the family packed up their
five children and belongings and made the arduous trip to Grand
Junction over the Rocky Mountains. Eventually they settled on the
corner of 29 and D Roads where the "famous" log house was built
with logs gathered and hauled from Grand Mesa. In 1942 Emil was
drafted into the Army Air Force where he served until the end of the
war and his honorable discharge in 1945. He returned to his job in
Grand Junction as a yardman at Davis Lumber Company, (which in
later years was sold to Independent Lumber and eventually Boise
Cascade) retiring in 1981.
Ernestine Louise Redfield was born in Littleton, Colorado, on
September 16, 1933 to Ernest Orval Redfield and Almeta (Gildart)
Redfield. In 1945, the same year Emil returned home from the service,
the Redfield family moved from Littleton where they had been
operating a dairy farm for 14 years to a 40-acre farm located at 2848
D Road in Grand Junction. Some say Ernestine caught Emil's eye
from the first time he saw her as a young lady. They had a "proper
courtship" in the early 1950's and were married March 14, 1952, at
the First Church of the Nazarene in Grand Junction, which was their
church home all their lives. They purchased their one and only home
on Texas Avenue where their three children, Coni, Mark and Vik
were born and raised.
God and family came above all things, and these faithful qualities
have all been passed to their children and their families. They loved
their church, developing lifelong friendships there, serving in
countless capacities and giving faithfully on a meager income. Let it
be known that all of this was a joy to them, and their honesty,
integrity and hard work ethic will be a great standard for many generations.
In retirement they cared for grandchildren and were able to share
wonderful vacations, camping and fishing trips with family and
friends. They possessed the spirit of kindness and made everyone
they met feel special. Both Emil and Ernestine were always
gracious, unselfish and generous--giving freely of their time and
possessions, but mostly, their love. They knew that real treasures are
not stored on earth.
Ernestine and Emil made their final journey to their heavenly home
as they did everything else in their lives-together. These lovers,
these best friends, would leave their earthly home within 36 hours of
each other. Their love story doesn't end here-it is a continuing
legacy in each one of their children's, grandchildren's, and great
grandchildren's lives as well as the lives of all who were touched by
God's love through them.
All their children survive and live in Colorado, Coni Wolfe and
husband, Steve of Cedaredge; Mark and wife, Stephanie (Folsom)
Odelberg of Grand Junction, and Vik and wife, Laura (Azuma)
Odelberg of Wheat Ridge. They have five grandchildren, Adam and
Melissa (Wyman) Wolfe, Brady and Liana (Michael) Wolfe, Grant
Odelberg, Evan Odelberg, and Trevor Odelberg along with three
great grandchildren, Alannah and Domenic Wolfe and Eva Wolfe.
Surviving siblings are Ella Harris of Seattle, WA; Willis Odelberg
(Thelma) of Midwest City, OK; Norma Pace of Grand Junction, CO;
David Odelberg (Martha May) of Grand Junction, CO; Geraldine
McSpadden (Kelly) of Denver, CO and Charlene Stride (Harold) of
Grand Junction, CO.
Inurnment will be held September 30, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. at the
Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, 2830 D Road. A celebration of Emil
and Ernestine's lives will follow at 2:30 p.m. at the First Church of
the Nazarene, 2802 Patterson Road. Memorial donations may be
made in their names to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western
Colorado.
