ODOM, Fred M., Union, then Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


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Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 647-648.  Edited by
Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.

Odom, Fred M., the popular district attorney living at Bastrop, was born in
Union parish, April 4, 1871.  His parents were J. M. and Sarah (Dean) Odom,
both of whom  were born and reared in the same parish as the son, and the
father has been a farmer all his life.  In 1863, when only 16 years old and
against his mother's wishes, he joined the Confederate army, and stayed till
the war ended.  Pinckney Odom, his father, was a Confederate soldier during
the entire war, and at its close was broken up on account of conditions, and
had to begin all over again.  J. M. Odom is now living at Bernice and by his
wife, Sarah Dean, became the father of 6 children:  Mollie, married W. M.
Sparks;  Fred L., W. M., now a member of the state legislature;  Ida May,
married John C. Thompson;  Henry J.; Maude, married Dr. O. E. Glover.  Mrs.
Odom died July 28, 1884, and Mr. Odom was married in 1888 to Mrs. Emma
Bennet and 2 children were born to this union:  Euphie,  Randall Claude.
Fred M. Odom spent the first 20 years of his life in Union parish, excepting
3 years in Logan county, Ark.  He worked on a farm when a boy and went to
school a few months at a time as opportunity offered.  Up to 18 years of age
he had never been to school as long as 3 consecutive months.  In 1888 he
attended school 3 months, which was 5 miles from his home and every day he
walked this distance both ways.  In this school he won a prize for making
the most progress of any pupil.  In 1889 he went about 5 months to
Farmerville, and in the summer of 1889 he taught school in the country and
the session of 1889-90 he pursued his studies at Shiloh in Union parish.
The summer of 1890 he taught school and sold books.  For 2 years he worked
on a farm until the fall of 1892, when he entered the state normal school at
Natchitoches where he graduated in May, 1894.  In Sept., 1894, he went to
Bastrop and taught as first assistant in the Morehouse high school.  This
position he held for 3 consecutive sessions and then went to Bonita, where
he was principal during the year of 1897-98.  In the fall of 1898 he
returned to Bastrop as principal of the Morehouse high school and taught 1
session.  During all this time of teaching Mr. Odom had been reading law,
and was admitted to the bar by the supreme court in Nov., 1899; began
practice at Bastrop in Jan., 1900, and has continued there to the present
time.  In Nov., 1908, he was elected district attorney for the 6th judicial
district of Louisiana, comprising Morehouse and Ouachita parishes, and
assumed the duties of that office in December.  Having proved a capable and
efficient officer, he was reëlected in 1912, and is now serving in that
capacity.  Mr. Odom has been a member of the  board of Morehouse high school
since 1900, and has always been in favor of the things which contribute to
the excellent of this high school, of which Bastrop boasts.  He was clerk of
the town council 1901 and 1902, and clerk of the police jury for 6 years.
He is worshipful master of the Masonic lodge and has also attained the Royal
Arch degree, is also a member of the Knights of Pythias.  In religion he is
a subscriber to the tenets of the Baptist church and has been Sunday school
superintendent for the last 12 years.  Dec. 19, 1905, Mr. Odom was married
to Miss Emma Inez, daughter of J. T. Scogin.  Her father was sheriff of
Morehouse parish from 1904 to 1912.  To Mr. and Mrs. Odom 3 children have
been born:  Emily Dean,  Fred M., Jr., and  Lina Garland.