ROBERT ODOM

Family mass for Robert Brittian Odom, 70, of Rusk will be at 9 a.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with the Rev. Stephen Duyka officiating. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Don Copeland and the Rev. Duyka officiating. Masonic and military graveside rites will follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery.

Mr. Odom died July 18 in Reno, Nev. He was born Aug. 7, 1936, in Maydelle and graduated from Dialville High School in 1954. He served in the United States Army from 1954- 1962 in ESP 3 Class. He retired from Southwestern Electric Service Company after 20 years of service. He was a member of Rusk Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He was named Rusk Citizen of the Year in 1993 and in 1986 Rusk Fireman of the Year. He was a member of the Rusk Euclid Masonic Lodge #45 AFAM for 40 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents Walter and Annie Thelma Meador Odom and sister Sue Pittilo.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years Dana Shannon Odom; children, Dennis Brittian Odom, Catherine Odom Sampson, Mark Finley Odom, Robert Wade Odom and Ann Marlene Odom Willis; sons-inlaw and daughter-in-law, Mikal Sampson, Amy Odom, Ched Willis; grandchildren, Luke, Johnny, Mark, and Matthew Sampson, Britt, Chase, Julie, Randall, and Emily Odom and Gabriela and Joshua Willis.

Pallbearers will be Mark Odom, Wade Odom, Ched Willis, Luke Sampson, Randall Odom and Britt Odom. Honorary pallbearers will be David Black, Max Thomason, Tommy Matthews, Mikal Sampson, Joe Mack Fulton, Randy Rasberry, Sammy Chapman, John Dean Chapman, Raymond Vermillion, Carlton Jones, Malcolm Hanson, James Long, Gary Meador, Billy Lovelady, Ewell Newman, James Campbell, Horace Oden, Richard Oden and Jerry Oden. Family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday at Wallace- Thompson Funeral Home. A vigil service will be Thursday, at 8 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Memorials can be made to the Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Balitmore, Maryland 21298-9664, St. Judes Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 2132, Memphis, Tenn, 38101, and Shriners' Hospital for Children-Galveston, 815 Market St., Galveston 77550, Attn. Administration.