Voyne 'Gene' Eugene Odle

Voyne Eugene “Gene” Odle, 78, of Mtn. Grove, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Saturday afternoon, July 23, 2011 in the Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Missouri, following a long battle with lung disease.
He is the son of the late Virgil Voyne Odle and Effie Leona Ashley. He was born on July 12, 1933 in Bryant, Missouri.
Gene graduated from the Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Missouri in 1951. Following high school, he worked at Kraft Foods and MFA Feed in Mansfield, Missouri. He joined the United States Navy on May 26, 1953 and served during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1957.
Gene was united in marriage to Phyllis Yvonne Jones on February 22, 1959. They made their home and raised their family in the St. Louis, Missouri area. He worked for the A.B.F. Trucking Company and the Ford Motor Company, from which he retired after 34 years. Phyllis passed away on July 3, 1970.
Gene married Sharon Dennis on June 18, 1978. They made their home in the St. Louis, area, until they retired in 1999 and moved to the Mtn. Grove area. Gene was an avid outdoorsman and a hard worker. He liked doing woodworking projects, especially making grandfather clocks. He also enjoyed rebuilding his antique tractor and keeping his vehicles in tip-top shape. He thoroughly enjoyed listening to the old time gospel music on the Gaither Hour.
Gene was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He will be truly missed by those who loved and knew him.
Besides his parents and his first wife, he was preceded in death by a sister, Fern.
He is survived by his loving wife of thirty-three years: Sharon Odle of their home; five children: Dennis Odle of Springfield, Missouri, Carolyn Magistri and her husband, Joe, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Sherry Walker of Mtn. Grove, Lori Haws and her husband, Glen, of Wood River, Illinois, and Mark Dennis and his wife, Monette, of Florissant, Missouri; twelve grandchildren: Christina Smith and her husband, Keith, Jacob Haws and his wife, Katie, Jennifer Taylor and her husband, Steven, Joseph Magistri, Erin Richardson and her husband, Adam, Courtney Odle, Jessica Magistri, Sara Walker Openshaw and her husband, Nick, Gabriel Haws, Madison Dennis, Samuel Haws and Roxane Dennis; four great-grandchildren: Gracie and Hallie Richardson and Joshua and Michael Haws.
Gene was a quiet, humble, hardworking man with strong beliefs, whose love we will share eternally.