1964 ConcordCollege BS Chemistry/Math

1965 Married, worked 2 years for DuPont, Martinsville

14 years in Hospital Laboratory Beckley/Bluefield

2 years assistant plant manager – Celtite

2 years drug store manager, got teaching certificate

1990 MA Secondary Education

Taught 9 years in Bluefield and 9 years in Princeton

Retired 2004 Widowed 2006

I have a 50 acre farm in Princeton, like to read, do yard work, and sing in church choir.  I am chaplain of MercerCountyGideon’s.

Founder/first president of Ghent Area Volunteer Fire Department.

I have two daughters, Mitzi O’Dell – age 37, Tammie Blankenship – age 33, they live in Mooresville, NC.  Mitzie is Find. Consultant with Novant and Tammie is an LPN with a Neurologist.  I have 2 grandchildren, Jason O’Dell, age 12 and Jodi Lynn O’Dell age 9.  I retired from Magistrate Court here in MercerCounty in 2004 and I love my retirement, for once, doing what I want to do. I enjoy time with my family, going to our cabin and going to my church and serving the Lord.

Jim and I have three children and seven grandchildren.  In 1980 we bought Bensey’s Texaco after Jim retired from the Allied Chemical Corporation as a miner with 22 years.  In 1998 we sold the station and retired.  Two years later I became a tax preparer for H&R Block and have been working during tax season since then.  I am active in my church (First United Methodist) and a member of the Red Hat Society.  We enjoy going to our farm with the grandchildren and taking trips with our family.

Retired USAF CIV 40 years “Environmental Scientist”

Married 35 years to Lyndia Brooks – no children

1 daughter and 2 grandchildren all of Princeton

Hobbies: reading, fishing, walking, TV, sports.

Detroit Institute of Tech. BS Humanities: Central

Michigan University MSA; Wayne State University MSE