This past weekend an old friend and classmate from my old home town, Scott City Kansas, passed away. Eleanor “Nellie” Rockwell Odom came into this world in February of 1930 and left our world in February 2009 a few days short of her 79 birthday.
Eleanor’s Dad was a barber and he cut my hair from the first time I can remember until the day he passed away, I think in 1947. It was prior to our senior year in high school.
Its hard to explain about the time so many years ago. You were at school, out for sports or working in those years, so there wasn’t a lot of times so socializing. You know they didn’t believe in dancing in those days and only the farm kids had cars. It was a bike or walking world. So we didn’t have a lot of time hanging around. We did attend the same church and were in a lot of school activities but that was about all.
Nellie, as we called Eleanor, left town after her father passed away. She and her mother went to Hays. I think it was in the summer of 1947. She did return to Scott City for our graduation in 1948. She received her degree from Fort Hays State. She married Kenneth Odom in 1951. He passed away in May 2000. She was a high school teacher for many years in Stafford Kansas.
The only times I really got to see Nellie since graduation was at the different reunions our class holds every 5 or so years. Since I was never able to attend a reunion until 1998 I’ve seen Eleanor only three or four times since our graduation. But as big time Internet user, Nellie and I had many conversations over the past 10 years. I even did a special MUG for her in 2006. Her son Rodney and daughter-in-law Ellen had their first child Jennifer. The cup included a number of pictures of the three of them.
Eleanor was a quiet and studious girl. I really only learned in these past 10 years what a fun gal she was. A great gal who will be missed by a lot of people.
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