John Odgers (1921 - 2022)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

John was born in 1921.^[1] His parents were George Alfred Odgers and Marie Ann (Poitras) Odgers. He married Elizabeth (Spenst) Odgers. He passed away in 2022.

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John’s father; George Odgers, immigrated from Tranmere, Cheshire, England to Cochin, Saskatchewan in 1910 at the age of twenty five. He settled on a homestead six miles east Cochin in the Lost Horse district. This was here he met Mary Poitras and they were married in May, 1914. They had five children.. three daughters, Jessie, Madeleine, and Mildred, and two sons, Joe and Jack. These two boys were named after George's two brothers who lost their lives in World War One.

John moved to Cold Lake, Alberta in about 1960. He got a job working for the town as a form layer putting in the first sidewalks. He then was employed till retirement with DND, where he worked as a carpenter for the CE (Constrution Engineering) section at 4 Wing Cold Lake.

He met his wife Elizabeth Spenst^[2] in Cold Lake, Alberta while she was working in the Five Star Restaurant in 1963. He married her in 1965. He built a house on the outskirts of Cold Lake beside Elizabeth’s parents. He stayed there for a few years, before moving into town. After his wife passed, he moved back to his hometown, Cochin, Saskatchewan, where he built a cabin across from Murray Lake. He always loved to live amongst the trees and in the wilderness.

His passion was the Lord, fishing and camping. He was always one for a story of the good old days, how life was, the things he’d seen and done, and the places he lived. Sometimes you were left wondering if some were actually true. He was full of life and smiles; always joking and poking fun. He said he enjoyed the dirty thirties, maybe because he was young, but he said it was always good times. His stories included where he grew up in Cochin and his first car, which was a Chevrolet Coup with the wooden wheels; his first house, and of course how he had to walk two miles though the heavy snow to get to school and back. Everyone he chatted with got a story or two of the good old days, and those stories now will live on in our hearts and memories of him.

Reminiscing the Army Days

John Odgers joined the Canadian army in 1944 at the end of the second world war. He was stationed in Vernon BC and his unit was called Prince Albert Volunteers (1st Battalion PAV’s). ^[3] While stationed there the unit went for a walk and somehow got lost in the mountains. To get back to civilization they ended up climbing over one of the mountains, which was grass covered but with it’s peak in the clouds. They ascended the other side of the mountain and were met at the bottom by a fruit farmer giving away oranges, which was greatly appreciated.

In 1946 after being in the army for approximately seven months, John received a letter for his medical discharge and he decided to take it even though he didn’t have the medical issue stated. After he was out, the army found it was a mistake offered him to rejoin at an officer level but John declined. The mistaken discharge was for his bother Joseph Odgers.

After John was discharged he made his way from Vernon to Edmonton, Alberta and then to North Battleford, Saskatchewan. He was dressed in his Sunday best army uniform which didn’t offer much protection from the very cold weather of North Battleford. After reaching North Battleford, he had to walk home to Cochin, which was about a half day walk in winter weather.

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John Odgers with parents in the 1926 census record of Saskatchewan, Canada.^[4]

• George Odgers Husband Male 45 England
• Mary Odgers Wife Female 44 Saskatchewan, Canada
• Jessie Odgers Daughter 10 Saskatchewan, Canada
• Madeline Odgers Daughter 7 Saskatchewan, Canada
• Joseph Odgers Son Male 6 Saskatchewan, Canada
• John Odgers Son Male 4 Saskatchewan, Canada

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John Odgers was interred at the North Battleford Municipal Cemetery, North Battleford, North Battleford Census Division, Saskatchewan, Canada.^[5]

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Notable Ancestors

• 1st great grandson of Pierre Poitras.
• 2nd great grandnephew of Cuthbert James Grant

Ancestors of Royalty

• 12th great grandsonJames "James V, King of Scots"
• 16th great grandson Edward (Edward III) "King of England"
• 17th great grandson of Robert "Earl of Carrick and Lord of Annandale" Bruce King Robert Ist of Scots
• 20th great grandson of Ludwig (Ludwig IV) "King of Germany, King of Italy, Holy Roman Emperor
• 23rd great grandson of Duncan (Duncan I) "Donnchad mac Crínáin, King of Strathclyde, King of the Scots”
• 23rd great grandson of Guillaume (William I the Conqueror) "Duke of Normandy, King of England"
• 29th great grandson of Ælfred (Alfred) "Alfred the Great, King of Wessex"
• 30th great grandson of Charlemagne (Karolus Magnus) "King of the Franks, Emperor of the Romans"

Sources

1. ↑ Original Birth Certificate of John Odgers.
2. ↑ Original marriage certificate of John Odgers and Elizabeth Spenst.
3. ↑ Prince Albert Volunteers. In Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_Volunteers
4. ↑ "Canada, Prairie Provinces Census, 1926," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP5Y-S1KR : 24 September 2020), Mary Odgers in household of George Odgers, North Battleford No. 437, Saskatchewan, Canada; citing Census, North Battleford No. 437, Saskatchewan, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (Find A Grave: Memorial #237059166 : accessed 05 March 2022), memorial page for John Odgers (17 Oct 1921–24 Feb 2022), Find a Grave Memorial ID 237059166, citing North Battleford Municipal Cemetery, North Battleford, North Battleford Census Division, Saskatchewan, Canada ; Maintained by Mary W. (contributor 50576820) .