She displayed the perfect mixture of independence and self-sacrificing love. Odessa Moffat learned to stand on her own from a very young age. She was raised to be a woman of strength, never the victim. She knew her strength came from facing the everyday battles life handed her in the strength she found in her personal relationship God.
Even though she wasn’t a grandmother until the age of 74, the way she loved her grandkids is an example all grandmothers can aspire to. The grandkids looked forward to their weekly day with Grandma Odessa. Her hugs felt like a warm winter coat, her cooking was comforting and was evidenced by clean plates, full tummies, and happy faces. She was a master of children’s board games such as Sorry, Candy Land, Shoots and Ladders, Monopoly, and The Game of Life.
To Odessa, life was not a game, but she sure had a lot of fun living it. She loved to read books that strengthened her faith in God as well as a good murder mystery. She owned a fabric store for several years and was thrilled to help ladies learn how to sew. She taught Sunday School for many years making a life-long impact of many people. For a time, she was a church secretary, and you know they hear all the “good stories,” but she guarded that information as if it were her own. She knew gossip was a fire that burns others and is difficult to extinguish. She played a primary role in writing the history book of Canadian County. She drove her own car until she was 90 and lived independently until she was 100 years old.
Georgia Odessa (Mann) Moffat, known to others as “Odessa,” lived 105 years on this earth before trading everything in for her new body and address in heaven on October 10, 2021. She was born on January 11, 1916, in Tiffin, Missouri to George and Elsie Mann. She began school at age 5 and graduated 8th grade when she was 11. She began high school at the age of 20 and graduated valedictorian four years later. She continued her education earning her teaching certificate, then taught for one year in Rockville, Missouri. She moved to Wichita, Kansas where she worked as a church secretary. It wasn’t long until she transferred to Enid, taking another job as church secretary. This is where she met and married the love of her life, Jim Moffat, on September 6, 1953. The two settled in on Jim’s family farm in Piedmont, where she was a faithful member and volunteer at the Piedmont United Methodist Church. She also volunteered as the local 4-H club leader. In 1983, she was awarded the Diana Award by the local Zeta Rho Chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority for unselfish community involvement and inspiring qualities of love, faith, and courage. Odessa was also a board member of The Canadian County Historical Society.
Odessa is preceded in death by her husband Jim, parents George and Elsie, along with her three brothers, her sister and grandson, Cody Poage.
Odessa was mother to 4 children, James, Eloise, Wade and Carol, who are present today. There are grandchildren living who vividly remember the games they played with Odessa: JD Moffat of Broomfield, Colorado, Jacob Moffat and his wife Taylor of the Village, Tyler Moffat and his wife Hanna of Piedmont, Kevin Poage and his wife Laura of Birmingham, Alabama, Annaliese Moffat of Mustang, Oklahoma, Emily Strantz and her husband, Adam of Hamilton, Ohio, and Melissa Diehl and her husband, Adam of Washington, DC. And Odessa leaves behind great-grandchildren Reid Douglas Moffat of Piedmont, Oliver Strantz of Hamilton, Ohio, and Malcom and Ethan Diehl of Washington DC. She also is survived by her sister, Elsie Eileen Johnson along with many nieces and nephews.
The family expresses deep gratitude to the Baptist Village Retirement Center and the Good Shepherd Hospice for the compassionate care they provided.
Visitation for Odessa will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 14, 2021, at Ingram, Smith & Turner Mortuary in Yukon. Her service will be 10 a.m. Friday, October 15, 2021, at First United Methodist Church in Piedmont with burial to follow at the Mathewson Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian County Historical Society or the Piedmont United Methodist Church.
She displayed the perfect mixture of independence and self-sacrificing love.
Odessa Moffatt, 105, died Sunday, Oct. 10.
Odessa learned to stand on her own from a very young age. She was raised to be a woman of strength, never the victim. She knew her strength came from facing the everyday battles life handed her in the strength she found in her personal relationship God.
Even though she wasn’t a grandmother until the age of 74, the way she loved her grandkids is an example all grandmothers can aspire to. The grandkids looked forward to their weekly day with Grandma Odessa. Her hugs felt like a warm winter coat, her cooking was comforting and was evidenced by clean plates, full tummies, and happy faces. She was a master of children’s board games; Sorry, Candy Land, Shoots and Ladders, Monopoly, and The Game of Life.
To Odessa, life was not a game, but she sure had a lot of fun living it. She loved to read books that strengthened her faith in God as well as a good murder mystery. She owned a fabric store for several years and was thrilled to help ladies learn how to sew. She taught Sunday School for many years making a life-long impact of many people. For a time, she was a church secretary, and you know they hear all the “good stories”, but he guarded that information as if it were her own. She knew gossip was a fire that burns others and is difficult to extinguish. She played a primary role in writing the history book of Canadian County. She drove her own car until she was 90 and lived independently until he was 100 years-old.
Georgia Odessa (Mann) Moffat, known to others as “Odessa”, lived 105 years on this earth before trading everything in for her new body and address in heaven on October 10, 2021. She was born on January 11, 1916, in Tiffin, Missouri to George and Elsie Mann. She began school at age 5 and graduated 8th grade when she was 11. She began high school at the age of 20 and graduated valedictorian four years later. She continued her education earning her teaching certificate, then taught for one year in Rockville, Missouri. She moved to Wichita, Kansas where she worked as a church secretary. It wasn’t long until she transferred to Enid, Oklahoma, taking another job as church secretary. This is where she met and married the love of her life, Jim Moffat on September 6, 1953. The two settled in on Jim’s family farm in Piedmont, Oklahoma where she was a faithful member and volunteer at the Piedmont United Methodist Church. She also volunteered as the local 4-H club leader. In 1983, she was awarded the Diana Award by the local Zeta Rho Chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority for unselfish community involvement and inspiring qualities of love, faith, and courage. Odessa was also a board member of The Canadian County Historical Society.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Jim, parents, George, and Elise, along with her three brothers, her sister and grandson, Cody Poage.
Odessa was mother to 4 children, James, Eloise, Wade and Carol who are present today. There are grandchildren living who vividly remember the games they played with Odessa; JD Moffat of Broomfield, Colorado, Jacob Moffat and his wife Taylor of the Village, Oklahoma, Tyler Moffat and his wife, Hanna of Piedmont, Oklahoma, Kevin Poage and his wife Laura of Birmingham, Alabama, granddaughter, Annaliese Moffat of Mustang, Oklahoma, step-granddaughter Emily Strantz and her husband, Adam of Hamilton, Ohio, and Melissa Diehl and her husband, Adam of Washington, DC. And Odessa leaves behind great-grandchildren Reid Douglas Moffat of Piedmont, Oklahoma, Oliver Strantz of Hamilton, Ohio, and Malcom and Ethan Diehl of Washington DC. She also is survived by her sister, Elsie Eileen Johnson along with many nieces and nephews.
The family expresses deep gratitude to the Baptist Village Retirement Center and the Good Shepherd Hospice for the compassionate care they provided.
Visitation for Odessa will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 14 at Ingram, Smith & Turner Mortuary in Yukon. Her service will be 10 a.m. Friday, October 15, 2021, at the First United Methodist Church in Piedmont with burial to follow at the Mathewson Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian County Historical Society or the Piedmont United Methodist Church.
