Oddie Otness Swartz

Odlaug Otness Swartz

Odlaug (Oddie) Otness Swartz passed away at Trinity Healthcare on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. She was born October 3, 1922 near Kristiansund, Norway on the Island of Smola in the community of Dyrnes. Her parents were Fredricka Inga and Oscar Lars Otness. In the summer of 1923 her parents moved to Petersburg, Alaska where her father was a commercial fisherman. She was the oldest of 6 siblings.

Oddie graduated from Petersburg High School in 1940. After graduation she attended beauty school in Seattle, Washington and after receiving her license, returned to Petersburg to own and operate her own shop. She was active in Girl Scouts and volunteered as a trained nurse aide in Petersburg Hospital during World War II.

She met and later married Robert Allen Swartz who was in the U. S. Coast Guard stationed in Petersburg. He was raised in Everest, Kansas where they raised Aberdeen Angus Cattle.

They lived in Kansas until 1954 when they moved to St. Louis, Oklahoma. From there, they moved to Columbus, January 1963.

Oddie worked at Doster Hospital until 1969 when she transferred to the new Lowndes General Hospital until retiring in September 1987.

She was a hospital Pink Lady and member of the Columbus Pilot Club where she was honored as Grand Marshal of the 2002 Christmas Parade for her work with Lifeline Systems which was sponsored by the Pilot Club. She was an active member of Broadacres United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert Swartz, sons Price and Dean Swartz, siblings Margaret Barnard and Ralph Otness.

Oddie is survived by siblings Nels Otness, Roy Otness and June Vick; children, Roger Swartz (Paulette) of Hattiesburg, MS, Margaret Mistilis (John) of Oxford, MS, Mary Evans of Tracy, CA, Marilyn Moore (O.T.) and Larry Swartz (Debbie) of Columbus, MS; 13 grandchildren and 17 great- grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at Covenant United Methodist Church on Friday June 16, 2017 at 2:00 p.m., with Rev. Ron Thomas and Rev Gene Bramlett officiating; burial will follow at Memorial Gardens of Columbus. Visitation will be held Friday from 12:30 until service time at the church.

Memorials may be made to:

Covenant United Methodist Church (formerly Broadacres United Methodist Church)

P.O. Box 9552

Columbus, MS 39705

Or

Shriner’s Children’s Hospital

3100 Samford Ave.

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