Norma Ruth Swenson Odegard, 95, of Crosby, passed away on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at St. Luke's Hospital in Crosby of natural causes.

Norma was born in Dawson, Minn., on January 23, 1914 the daughter of Edward and Ruth (Berg) Swenson. She was baptized in the Lutheran Church. At the age of 3, her family left Dawson for the prairie in North Dakota and settled in Werner, near the Badlands in Dunn County, where her dad was the president of the 1st National Bank and her mother was an elementary school teacher.

Norma met her husband, Kenneth A. Odegard, in Dunn Center where he worked in the meat-cutting business for his cousin Gerhard Shefte. After their marriage they moved to Crosby where Kenneth started farming on his dad's homestead east of the city in 1932.

Norma was an active member of Concordia Lutheran Church and for many years the family sang in the church choir. She also was a member of circle, president of the PTA, president of the Girl Scout Association for many years and was also Paula's Girl Scout leader for 12 years. For many years, Norma worked for the library's bookmobile that traveled to all the small towns until the program ended. She also worked at the Crosby Journal for 25 years before retiring in 1989.

Norma is survived by her children, Avis Breding of Bismarck, Donna (John) Lund of Silver City, N.M., Sharyn (Jim) Edwards of Issaquah, Wash., Pam (Mike) Simmons of Ecru, Miss., Dirk (Kim) Odegard of Fairfield, Calif. and Paula (Neil) Lindsey of Crosby; sister, Dorothy Swenson of Minneapolis, Minn.; brother, Vernon (Tony) Swenson of Minneapolis, Minn.; 17 grandchildren, Lynnell Odegard, Kenny Odegard III, Barry Breding, Jan (Curt) Ericksmoen, Kerri (Tom) Shaw, Jole (Patrick) Coakley, Chris (Amelia) Edwards, Stacey (Amanda) Simmons, Heather (Jason) Dyer, Mironda Lindsey, Marlo (Shannon) Stubbs, Chance Lindsey, Rachela (Mike) Amodeo, Justin Odegard, Brandi (Charles) Finley II, Penny Nicholson, Chad Nicholson; great-grandchildren, Kenny Odegard IV and Amanda Odegard, Jonathan and Megan Shaw, Cameron and Kennedy Coakley, Emma Edwards, Sara Grace and Lacie Simmons, Ethan and Gavin Dyer, Jersey Rayne Stubbs, Nicolas, Jack and Micheal Amodeo, Sierra, Savannah and CJ Finley.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth; two sons, Ken (Buddy) Odegard and Richard (Dick) Odegard; two infant twins; sisters, Carol Stevens, Phyllis Papale; brothers, Doug Swenson and Paul Swenson.

Funeral services: will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Crosby with Pastor Robert Garton officiating.

Burial: will follow at Concordia Lutheran Cemetery in Crosby.

Visitation: will be today (Monday, August 17) from 3 to 7 p.m. at Stakston-Martin Funeral Home in Crosby and also one hour before the service at the church.