Odell was born the son of General Avington Fairchild and Esther Emerine Fairchild on April 11, 1925, in Parmleysville, Kentucky. He was raised and educated in Parmleysville, Kentucky. Odell was united in marriage to Edith Lucille Criswell on September 14, 1951, in New Castle, Indiana. To this union were born their children, Imegene, Ronnie, Ann, and Randy. The couple resided in Kentucky before moving to New Castle, Indiana and then to Grinnell, Iowa in 1953. Odell worked several various jobs from farming to maintenance on the railroad and working at Holland Plastics throughout his life. He was a handyman who could fix anything from an old watch to a lawnmower. His enjoyments included the outdoors, where he would hunt and tend to his garden, playing musical instruments, including the fiddle, guitar, accordion, and harmonica, and listening to his favorite music of old country western and bluegrass. Odell is survived by his son, Ronnie (Vicki) Fairchild of Baxter, Iowa; his daughter, Ann (Jim) Bell of Grinnell; his six grandchildren, Charity Kirsch of Grinnell, Patrick (Keri) Henderson of Ames, Iowa, Heather (Pat) Wolf of Grinnell, Jody (Don) VanDeKrol, Ryan Fairchild of Springfield, Missouri, and Andrew Henderson of Grinnell; 5 great grandchildren, Zachery and Cameron Kirsch, Jesemmy and Macie VanDeKrol, and Reese Henderson; his sister, Nancy Gautier of Winston- Salem, North Carolina; and his brother, Tim Fairchild of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Odell was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Lucille; his daughter Imegene Fairchild; his son, Randy Fairchild; his grandson, Matthew Henderson; and his brothers, Hermon, Earl, and Henry Fairchild.