Obituary of Arnold Peter Odegaard

Arnold "Arnie" Odegaard, 66, of Cloquet and Baker, Florida died Sunday, September 28, 2003 in Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet. He was born October 5, 1936 in Cloquet to Maurice and Irene (Berglund) Odegaard. He grew up in Cloquet and Milaca. He graduated from Milaca High School in 1954. Arnie served in the U.S. Air Force for 6 years. He worked at Wood Conversion for a short time while also going through flight training. On December 27, 1959 he married Velma Renstrom in Onamia and they made their home in Cloquet. He operated Wood City Aero Service in Cloquet and was the manager for the Cloquet/Carlton and Moose Lake airports. He was also an FAA examiner and the corporate pilot for Potlatch. In 1982 he moved to Crestview, Florida where he was the chief flight instructor at Eglin Aero Club and a FAA Examiner. He was a test pilot and flight engineer at Crestview Aero Space working with private companies and the military. In 1996 he moved to Baker, Florida where together with his wife and son, operated Sky Ranch Inn flight school and airplane maintenance facility. In 2000, Arne semi-retired and moved back to Cloquet. He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Cloquet and Lakewood Church in Crestview, Florida. He was a member of the Cloquet VFW and American Legion, AOPA and a lifetime member of EAA. Arnie was active in the Republican Party; receiving the Senatorial Medal of Honor and several other awards and recognitions. Arnie was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Shirley Johnson. He is survived by his wife, Velma of Cloquet; sons, David (Carol) of Monticello, Georgia, Jeffrey (Sonia) of Baker, Florida; Peter (Michell) of Waco, Texas; daughter, Maurisa (Jonathan) Alt of West Point, New York; daughter-in-law, Sandra Odegaard Crookshank of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; mother-in-law, Betty Renstrom of Onamia; sister, Mildred (Richard) Walbridge of McGregor; 10 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. with a time of sharing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 2, 2003 in Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th St. in Cloquet. Visitation will continue from 1 until the 2:00 p.m. funeral service Friday, October 3, 2003 in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Cloquet. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery with Military Honors accorded by the Cloquet Combined Honor Guard. Arrangements entrusted to Northland Funeral Home.