Résumé

Private, US Army Air Service, 1918. He joined the US Army Air Service as a private during World War I, enlisting on 10/12/1918 and being discharged on 12/18/1918. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis, MO; St. Louis, MO, USA; Applications for Headstones, 1/1/1925 - 6/30/1970; NAID: NAID 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, accessed 08/12/2022.)

Structural Engineer, Kalispel, MT, c. 1931. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013, accessed 08/12/2022.)

Engineer, Everett, WA, c. 1937. (See Everett, Washington, City Directory, 1937, p. 337.) He continued to have his own firm in 1942, located at 2417 Hewitt Avenue. (See Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 133, accessed 08/12/2022.)

President, Odegard Construction Company, Everett, WA, c. 1939- . Between 1939 and 1947, at least, Odegard had an office at 2417 Hewitt Avenue. (See Everett, Washington, City Directory, 1939, p. 323 and Everett, Washington, City Directory, 1947, p. 1000.)

Professional Activities

Member, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), c. 1951.

President, Associated General Contractors of Washington, 1955-1956.

Relocation

Odegard was born in Kalispell, MT, on 03/04/1899, the sixth of ten children had by Thomas and Hulda Odegard.

He resided at home with his parents at 219 5th Avenue West in Kalispell on 09/12/1918, the date of his World War I draft registration card. This card listed his occupation as a "student" at age 19. Paul served as a private briefly in the US Army Air Service in 1918.

At the time of his marriage, Odegard lived in Kalispell, while his bride resided in Rockport, IN. Their marriage certificate listed Paul and Edna's occupations as "structural engineer" and "teacher," respectively. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013, accessed 08/12/2022.)

In 1937, Odegard resided at 1026 Hoyt Avenue, Everett, WA. (See Everett, Washington, City Directory, 1937, p. 337.) He remained at this address in 02/1942, although Edna had passed away about two years earlier. He resided here with his mother-in-law, Lula Busler, according to this World War II draft card. (See Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 133, accessed 08/12/2022.)

Parents

His father was Thomas J. Odegard (born c. 03/1859), who was born in Norway, while his mother was Hulda Johnson (born c. 12/1865), who came from Sweden. The 1900 US Census listed that Thomas immigrated to the US in 1883 and had been naturalized. Hulda came to the US in 1886. They wed c. 1887, likely in SD, and lived in that state until sometime between 1890 and 1892, when they relocated to Kalispell, MT.

Thomas worked as a laborer in Kalispell, MT, in 1900, while Hulda managed the household that consisted of six children. They included: Minnie G. Odegard (born 09/1888 in SD), Harold G. Odegard (born c. 05/1890 in SD), Hattie N. Odegard (born c. 05/1892 in MT), Carl A. Odegard (born 08/1894 in MT), Hulda G. Odegard (born c. 07/1896 in MT), Paul, Peter Odegard (born c. 1901 in MT), Tom Odegard (born c. 1903 in MT), James Odegard (born c. 1906 in MT) and John Odegard (born c. 1909 in MT).

By 1950, the building contractor lived in Warm Beach, Snohomish County, WA, on Warm Beach Road, with his second wife and three children. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Snohomish, Washington; Roll: 5837; Sheet Number: 9; Enumeration District: 31-16, accessed 08/12/2022.)

Spouse

Odegard married twice.

He first married Edna Busler (sometimes spelled "Buseler," born 1904 in AR-d. 06/17/1940 in Everett, WA) on 04/07/1931 in Vancouver, WA. At the time of their wedding, she was 26, he, 32, and both had not been married previously. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013, accessed 08/12/2022.) Her parents, Samuel Busler (d. 11/26/1949) and Lula Hay, (born 08/01/1868 in Viroqua, WI-d. 08/20/1955 in Pinehurst, WA) operated farms in AR and WA.Sam and Lula wed on 06/30/1898 in Pulaski County, AR. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Pulaski County Clerk; Little Rock, Arkansas; Marriage Records Source Information Ancestry.com. Pulaski County, Arkansas, Marriages 1838-1999 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2020, accessed 08/12/2022.)

He then wed Emily Marian Smyth (born c. 1904 in Canada) on 05/05/1947. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013, accessed 08/12/2022.)

Children

He and Edna had three children: Paula Odegard (born c. 1938 in WA), Mary Lou Odegard (born c. 1939 in WA) and John Odegard (born c. 1940 in WA).

Biographical Notes

On 02/15/1942, Odegard was described on his World War II draft registration card as Caucasian with a light complexion, blue eyes and blonde hair. He stood 5-feet, 10-and-1/2-inches tall and weighed 160 pounds. (See Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 133, accessed 08/12/2022.)