| Both went to their local high schools and afterwards, Marge went off to a career working in medical facilities, first in Crookston, MN and eventually at Bethesda Hospital in Fargo. Odell stayed on the farm, working with his dad, but developing other interests: he became a livestock auctioneer, worked as a baseball umpire, and studied music.
Years later, it was the umpiring that brought Odell to Fargo. He had developed a reputation and was traveling for assignments in baseball and in fast-pitch softball. It was one evening during a fast-pitch softball tournament in Fargo that he stopped at a place called The Bowler. Odell recalled that night: “I was chatting with this girl from Germany, and I saw Marge talking to some friends. The German noticed me noticing Marge and said, ‘Why don’t you go talk to that gal — you’re not listening to anything I say.’ I did. And we ended up talking half the night.”
By that time in their lives, both had been previously married, so neither was in any hurry. Even so, when they went on a first date, dinner at a Ramada, and Marge found herself thinking, “It was like I’d known him forever.” As for Odell, despite having vowed to himself to remain single, he recalled, “She got up after supper to go to the ladies’ room. As she walked off, I thought, ‘She’s the one.’ Just like that, ‘She’s the one.’”
And while the two figured out their relationship, eventually marrying in 1992, Odell was also figuring out his career. The Braatens had sold the family farm but like a farmer planting several crops, Odell was splitting his time, working as an auctioneer, umpire, insurance agent and musician. And while he succeeded at all of them, it was the music that came to dominate, with Odell falling in love with the accordion. (That’s Odell in the photo, from one of the articles written about him.) |
