Marian Iris Odland

Marian Iris Kline Odland passed away on March 8, 2024, at the age of 95.  She is preceded in death by her husband Laurence Erwin Odland.  Marian is survived by her 5 children, Terry Long (Doug) of Tucson, AZ, Nancy Wiedrich (Henry) of Wakonda, SD, Laura Webb of Alexandria, LA, Vic Odland (Salean) of Belvedere, SC, and Vince Odland (Rose) of Huntsville, and their families, including 16 grandchildren, 42 great grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.  Marian lived her last few years in the Sanford Care Center in Vermillion, South Dakota.   Her care there was absolutely superlative.  She was loved, entertained, encouraged, and celebrated in addition to receiving all the physical care she needed.  Her greatest passion during those years was coloring in adult coloring books.  Her pictures were beautiful, with the color sense of the artist she was. She was also very fortunate in living those years near her daughter Nancy and son-in-law Henry.  They visited her often and handled anything that needed to be handled.  She was very blessed.

Marian was born in Fargo, North Dakota and raised in Groton, South Dakota by her parents George and Margaret Kline.  She had two older brothers who she adored and followed everywhere.  She even went to Boy Scout meetings with them.  She met Laurence, her future husband, in the first grade at school in Groton.  She later graduated as valedictorian of her senior class there.  After Laurence served in the Navy in the Pacific during World War 2, they were married on July 14, 1946.  They went to Vermillion, SD where Laurence went to college and Marian worked downtown in the bank. Later they ran the family farm near Claremont, South Dakota for ten years. They also lived in Aberdeen and Webster, SD for several years.  They retired to Arizona and later to Georgia where they lived with their daughter, Laura and son-in-law (Dann Webb, deceased). 

Marian was kind, loving and cheerful, always finding the best in all and everything.  She loved hearing about the antics of her littlest descendants. She was loved by all who knew her and will be dearly missed.