Ollie Carden Oden of Vinemont, Alabama passed away Nov. 9, 2023. She was born March 15, 1933 in Hatchechubbee, Alabama, and was the only child of Aubree and Jeff Carden. The lean years of the Depression framed her way of thinking throughout her life, making her conservative with money, resources, and the things she saved. She was an extensive reader which introduced her to a life much different than the one she had been given at birth.
After a summer working on Fire Island in New York, she married William Harold Oden in 1954 and within three years they had three children. Their wedding album, full of pictures and stories of how they met, was always a favorite past time for her children to read and helped them know the foundation of their roots. Pictures of her in the wedding gown she bought in New York City and of Harold in his white dinner jacket still hang on the wall in the log home they built and lived until each of their deaths.
There is no role in life that Ollie cherished more than being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was also a beloved confidant to many life-long friends. She made blankets for newborns, quilts for her children and their future offspring, and casseroles for those who were sick.
She always put others before herself reaching out to them in times of sickness or need and made a special point of asking how they were doing. She made each person she met feel special and loved.
Ollie devoted much of her life to nurturing not only her own children but to all children. She started Romper Room Kindergarten and Day Care Center in 1963 and eventually turned over the operation of it to her youngest daughter, Carmen Oden Underberg, when she began her career as a first-grade teacher at Welti Elementary. She loved taking care of children and looking for teachable moments in anything she did. With each child she met she made sure they knew they were worth loving.
Anyone who knew Ollie knew she loved her church and the members. She rarely missed a Sunday church service, a meal with the Lunch Bunch on Tuesday, and Family Night Suppers even at the age of 90. She thrived on being near friends, and her life was always full of social activities. She made every effort to be at events for which she received invitations.
Having a beautiful soprano voice, she sang weekly in the church choir for several decades and was asked to sing in many weddings, funerals, and other special occasions. Her daughter, Carmen, followed in her footsteps to do the same. The church choir with two strong soprano voices was the highlight of the church members when they sang together, especially songs like The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Ollie was a witty lady with an extensive vocabulary who often came up with quips and comments that made people laugh. In some ways it was funny because it was so unexpected from Ollie. Because the husbands of both of her daughters were both named Jeff, she always referred to each of them as her favorite son in law. They were affectionately known as Jeff Number One and Jeff Number Two because of the order they came into her life.
Ollie was preceded in death by her parents, Aubree and Jeff Carden; husband, William Harold Oden; and her daughter, Carmen Underberg. She is survived by Sabrina Buettner and her husband, Jeff; her son, William “Bill” Harold Oden, II; Carmen’s husband, Jeff Underberg; her granddaughter, Natalie Hope, and her husband, Kyle, along with their children Ollie Kate and Walton. During the last decade of life, Ollie had two loving caregivers and companions, Brittney Campbell and Donna Frullate. They are considered family after a decade of caring for both Harold and Ollie.
Funeral for Ollie Carden Oden will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, at First Presbyterian Church in Cullman. Burial will follow at Cullman City Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour before the service.
Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Cullman.
Moss Service Funeral Home directing.
