Carole Miller Odegard, 82

Carole Jane Miller was born Dec. 25, 1930, in Jerome. She and her family moved to Coeur d’Alene in the mid-1940s where she attended high school (the class of 1949) and vent on to Kinman Business School in Spokane where she met a young man from northeastern Montana.

Carole and Orville Odegard were married in Coeur d’Alene on Nov. 19, 1950, and moved immediately to his families farm/ranch near Whitetail, Mont. There for the next 50-plus years they were partners in raising four children, cattle and wheat. When Carole developed Alzheimer’s, Orville became her full-time loving, tender and understanding caregiver.

Carole is survived by her husband; daughter Kathy Gray of Whitetail; sons, Irvin (June) of Whitetail, Carl (Karen) of Outlook, Mont., and Les (Maureen) of Havre, Mont.; 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by both of her parents, two sisters, a brother and special friend, Donna Madson Festersen.

Donna and Carole became friends in high school and continued to be for the rest of their lives. They were six months apart in age and not related but they looked so much alike that they were often mistaken for each other; that too continued for the rest of their lives. At the time of their deaths they still looked like sisters.

Alzheimer’s entered both their lives in the same year and resulted in their deaths this year; Donna’s on April 5, 2013, and Carole’s on June 11, 2013.

Carole’s funeral service was held Saturday, June 15, 2013, at Zion Lutheran Church in Flaxville, Mont., with interment at Whitetail Cemetery the same day.