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Below is a family biography included in The History of Laclede County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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I. M. O’Dell, farmer, stock raiser, and native of Laclede County, Mo., was born November 15, 1849. His father, Samuel O’Dell, who was of Scotch-Irish descent, and a native of Tennessee, born in the year 1800, was twice married. He immigrated with his first wife (Cynthia Walker) to Illinois in 1830, and after residing in Macoupin County for six years his wife died, leaving seven children, whose names are as follows: Elizabeth, wife of A. A. Lowrance; Enoch, who moved to Grayson County, Tex., in 1857, and at the breaking out of the war espoused and served in the Confederate cause; Jonathan, Jeremiah and John, who served in the Federal army, and were killed in the battle of Franklin, Tenn.; James and Eliza. Being discouraged by sickness Mr, O’Dell immigrated to Laclede County, Mo., in 1836, settling on the Osage Fork of the Gasconade River, ten miles south of Lebanon, at which place he continued to reside, until his death in 1881. He was married the second time in 1838, to Mary S. Devazier, who was of German descent, also a native of Tennessee, and who preceded him to Laclede County only a few months. She was the mother of nine children: W. C. and A. F., who served in the cause of the Union, the latter being killed in the battle of Pleasant Hill, La.; S. H., who died in infancy; B. A., who resides in Callahan County, Tex.; I. M. was chosen by his father to be executor of his estate; S. S., Maggie, Jennie and Kate, all of Laclede County, Mo. Mary (Devazier) O’Dell died December 17, 1888. Mr. O’Dell located on the farm on which he now resides in 1882, and is considered one of the first farmers of his section of the country. He was married February 9, 1873, to Miss Lizzie Workman, a daughter of Green and Martha Workman, who were Tennesseeans by birth. In 1858 she, in company with her sister, Mrs. Sylvia Younger, came to Laclede County, where she met and married Mr. O’Dell, by whom she became the mother of one child, Grace, who died October 18, 1876. Mr. O’Dell is a Democrat, and belongs to the A. F. & A. M. Throughout life he has never been more than thirty miles from his birthplace.

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This family biography is one of 104 biographies included in The History of Laclede County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Laclede County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Laclede County, Missouri family biographies, click here

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