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Obituary

Obituary

Shirley O’Dell was born October 12, 1941 as the first child of Delmer and Mildred Mettler of Shafter, CA. She passed away suddenly on June 13, 2020 in Delano, CA. She graduated from Shafter High School where she met her first husband Kenneth Walker. She moved to Lompoc, CA where they had two children together. Brent Walker and wife Pamela of Bakersfield, CA and Kim Barbour and husband Clyde II of Bakersfield. After five years in Lompoc, they moved to Pond, CA to work on her dad’s farm. The marriage ended after twenty-five years. Later she met a gentleman by the name of Joe O’Dell who had two daughters of his own from a previous marriage Cindy O’Dell and Mindy Sandoval. They fell in love and got married. They resided on the family farm in Pond, CA for 28 years of marriage until her untimely passing. She is preceded in death by her father, mother and brother. She is survived by her brothers Ron and Don Mettler, her husband Joe O’Dell, her children and stepchildren Brent Walker, Kim Barbour, Cindy O’Dell, and Mindi Sandoval, seven grandkids and five great-grandkids.
Throughout the years Shirley did many things. After getting married she was active in softball and volleyball. With us kids in school, she was always there helping out in the classroom for parties or fund-raising carnivals. She loved to make quilts and blankets for friends, family members and baby showers. She spent many years gambling with her mother at Eagle Mountain Casino. One of her favorite things was family gatherings where she could play with the grandkids and later the great grandkids. She especially like our family tradition that we did for eighteen years which was camping on the beach at Oceano Dunes for the week of Thanksgiving with family and friends. She loved to make here specialty items for gathering which were German buns called zwieback, potato salad, peanut butter-chocolate-oatmeal cookies and of course her famous cherry cream pie with a homemade grand cracker crust. Finally there is the cabin in Pose, CA., where her and Joe would go to escape the valley heat and meet up many friends that they made over the years. She was deeply loved and will be missed by family, friends and all who got to know her. There will be a viewing at Peters Funeral Home on Thursday, June 18th from 4:00pm until 8:00pm. Graveside service will be Friday, June 19th at 10:00am at Shafter Memorial Park.