Harriet Anna Odden

Harriet Anna (Nelson) Odden, 93, of Fergus Falls, died Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at LB Broen Home in Fergus Falls, with care from Knute Nelson Hospice.

She was born on December 17, 1928, at the family home in Underwood, MN, the third child of Cecil and Florence (Watlov) Nelson. Harriet was baptized at Sverdrup Lutheran Church in 1929, in Underwood, MN, and was later confirmed there. She attended school in Underwood and graduated valedictorian at age 16 in 1945. After graduation she attended Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, MN, where she completed six months of training receiving her cap on March 2, 1948.

On March 14, 1948, she was united in marriage to Sanford Odden at Sverdrup Church of Underwood. They moved to a farm near Onamia, MN. While living there she helped San and his brother Cliff operate the Sancliff Roller Skating Rinks with a home base in Onamia. San and Harriet also provided dance lessons on roller skates. They later moved to Fergus Falls, MN where they lived and raised their family of four.

Harriet had many interests. She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and was active in Ladies Aid. She was a member of the Genealogy Society at the Otter Tail County Museum in Fergus Falls. She researched her and her husband’s ancestries extensively traveling to Norway and England to do additional research. She wrote four historical studies of their families. Harriet also enjoyed photography, reading, quilting, crocheting, making and sending greeting cards, and volunteering to help at Adams School with the reading program. Harriet and San loved to square dance and traveled in their motorhome to several state parks in Minnesota. For several years she enjoyed her work at J.C. Penney in Fergus Falls.

Preceding her in death were an infant brother, Morris; parents, Cecil and Florence Nelson; brother, Russell; husband, Sanford; and son, Paul.

Survivors include two daughters, Penny Nelson of Humboldt, IA and Sandy Kurtz of Fairmount, ND; one son, Richard (Rebecca) of Fergus Falls; daughter-in-law, Mary (Paul) Odden of Apple Valley , MN; sister, Peggy Fosse of Maple Grove, MN; sisters-in-law, Ardis Hansen of Fergus Falls and Geraldine Bullene of Fargo, ND; brother-in-law, Stan Ruud of Kent, WA; eight grandchildren, Brent and Eric Nelson, Catherine Odden, Abby (Jason) Drouillard, Laura (Todd) Quaintance, Benjamin (David Olivero) Odden, Jennifer (James) FitzPatrick, and Rhianna Kurtz; eight great grandchildren, Paige (Derek) Minges, Delilah Nelson, Layten, Colten and Trenten Drouillard, Sean, Trinity, and Carragh FitzPatrick; two great-great grandchildren, Maggie and Keller Minges; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials are preferred to Bethlehem Lutheran Church Radio Broadcast, Otter Tail County Historical Society, or LB Broen Home.

Visitation: One hour prior to the service at the church.

Funeral Service: 1:00 p.m., Thursday, October 6, 2022 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls.

Clergy: The Reverends Loren Mellum, Eliza Johnson, and Ron Nelson (Harriet’s nephew)

Interment: Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery, Fergus Falls

Arrangements provided by the Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.
Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com