Allen O'Dell Obituary

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May 17, 1933 – April 14, 2026

Allen George "Bud" O'Dell, age 92, passed away peacefully on April 14, 2026, in Denver, Colorado, surrounded by family. True to his loving nature, he held on until he knew that his family would be taken care of before peacefully slipping into rest.

The strength of his character was seen in his lifelong devotion to family, faith, and education, and in his service to his country.

Allen George was born on May 17, 1933, near Liberal, Missouri, to James Herbert "Herb" O'Dell and Mary Sherbondy O'Dell. He was given the initials AG after his paternal grandfather. He was the third of eleven children, two of whom did not survive infancy. The family moved from Missouri to Nebraska before settling in Laramie, Wyoming. Herb, Mary, and their 9 children, Jim, Leona, Allen, Elizabeth (Betty), Eilene, Julie, Frank, Donnie, and Robert, and Mary's brother lived in a small two-bedroom house on Fremont Street. The younger siblings called him "Brother," pronounced budder, which was shortened to Bud. He was known to most as Bud for the rest of his life. Bud started working at age 8. He worked at a duckpin bowling alley, as a newspaper delivery boy, and at a bakery throughout his middle and high school years. Bud graduated from Laramie High School in 1951. He worked with the Union Pacific Railroad as a brakeman and crew caller on the route between Cheyenne and Rawlins.

Thinking a draft was imminent, Bud joined the Navy in 1953. Bud completed basic training in San Diego, California. He served aboard the USS White River, traveling to Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, and southern Japan. He concluded his service in 1957, in Washington, D.C., after serving as a clerk typist in the Naval Personnel Building and with the Naval History Department. He proudly served his country from May 1953 to May 1957. With assistance from the GI Bill, Bud attended Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa.

Bud visited an RLDS church in each port he visited that had a church community. For the rest of his life, he spoke fondly of these church communities. In Washington, D.C., he made friends with Dale and Beverly Zimmerman. Bev encouraged Bud to check on her baby sister, Ada Sharon Robinson, who was starting Graceland at the same time as Bud.

From the first time he met Ada Sharon, he was happy to check up on her as Bev had requested. Bud considered his days at Graceland among the happiest of his life. He was active in religious and campus life. He was proud to win $10 in the contest to name the largest lake (pond) on the Graceland Campus. Bud graduated from Graceland in May of 1959 with an AA degree, and he and Ada were married on September 5th that same year. The young couple moved to Kirksville, Missouri, where Bud earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Northeast Missouri State College in 1961.

Bud and Ada moved to Longmont, Colorado, in the fall of 1961, where he accepted a teaching position with the St. Vrain Valley School District. Bud and Ada spent their summers and school breaks in Laramie, Wyoming, from 1962 to 1965, where he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad and took graduate-level Education classes at the University of Wyoming. While teaching school in Erie and Longmont, Bud attended Colorado State College (now University of Northern Colorado) in Greeley and earned a Master of Arts degree in Education in 1969. His commitment to learning reflected his belief in education as a path to service and growth. During that time, Bud helped each of his brothers get a job as a school janitor with the St. Vrain School District.

Bud and Ada had three children while they lived in Longmont: Jill in 1962, Jolene in 1966, and Joel Jay in 1969. Bud was very active in the RLDS church community in Longmont. He served as the pastor for a few years and was active in pastoral care. Each of his children remembers accompanying him on hospital or home visits with church or family members. Bud lived his beliefs through daily acts of kindness, humility, and care for others.

The family moved to Lamoni, Iowa, in 1977. Bud worked as a social worker in southern Iowa from 1979 to 1985. He was the janitor for the Community of Christ Church in Lamoni, Iowa, until he retired.

In 2016, Bud and Ada moved to Denver. In 2021, Bud and Ada moved to the Veterans Community Living Center at Fitzsimmons Campus in Aurora, Colorado. Bud was known throughout the facility as a deeply loving husband. He was devoted to his wife, who suffers from dementia.

Bud was preceded in death by his parents, Herb and Mary and his siblings, Jim, Leona, Betty, Julie, Donnie, Frank, Baby Thelma, Baby Roy, and Robert. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ada, of 66 years; his sister, Eilene; his children, Jill (Joe), Jolene (Russel), and Joel (Angie); and his cherished grandchildren, Claire, Lucas, John, Miranda, Amelia, Carly, Sam, and Anna.

Bud will be remembered for his kind heart, calm spirit, and unwavering compassion. He treated everyone he encountered with dignity and warmth, guided by his deep faith and belief in doing good for others. His legacy lives on in the many lives he touched-as a husband, father, brother, grandfather, teacher, pastor, and friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

https://unco.zoom.us/j/91095664224 livestream access to the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, please direct donations in Bud's honor to Outreach International, an affiliate of the Community of Christ Church. outreach-international.org/donate