[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27216]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    A TRIBUTE TO MR. JAMES EDWARD ODOM, TRULY AN OUTSTANDING CITIZEN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 17, 2005

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise and ask my Colleagues to join me 
in paying tribute to Mr. James Edward Odom, constituent and friend who 
recently passed away at the blessed age of 87 years old.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Odom enjoyed a very full life. He was first and 
foremost a Christian and dedicated much time as a member of St. Mark 
A.M.E. Church severing in several capacities. Mr. Odom always made it 
known that his parents taught him to first acknowledge our Creator in 
all things; and that is the principle by which he lived his life.
  Mr. Odom attributed the many successes in life to his Christian 
faith. He graduated from Nash Central High School and conducted his 
undergraduate studies at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He 
continued his studies at Eckles College of Mortuary Science in 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later graduated from Cortez Peters 
School of Business Administration in Washington, DC. Mr. Odom went 
further to study Standard Accounting and Management at George 
Washington University in Washington, DC.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Odom believed in using each of his many talents as 
evidenced by his significant involvement and active membership in 
countless organizations. The list is exhaustive with one affiliation 
just as impressive and important as the next. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Odom has 
indeed left an impression in the Nash County, Rocky Mount area where he 
served as Chairman of the Human Relations Commission; the First Black 
County Commissioner of the Nash County Board of Commissioners where he 
was elected to a four-year term in 1986 following a lawsuit under the 
Voting Rights Act; member of Unity Lodge #64; member of the Trustee 
Board of St. Marks A.M.E. Church; member of the Little Raleigh 
Independent Club of Rocky Mount; member of the Helping Hand Club of 
Little Easonburg, Rocky Mount; past President of the Lay Organization 
of St. Mark A.M.E. Church and the list is perpetual. Further, Mr. 
Speaker, Mr. Odom served on the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mount 
Area Chamber of Commerce; Triangle East; Cities In Schools of Rocky 
Mount; The Salvation Army; First Union Bank of Rocky Mount; the Rocky 
Mount Branch of the NAACP; Nash Central Senior Alumni Association; the 
National Federation of Independent Business and he held countless other 
posts too numerous to mention.
  Mr. Speaker, I learned that in 1980, Mr. James Edward Odom and his 
loving wife Erma embarked upon one of the most significant and 
important ventures in their lives; they became the proud owners of 
Hunter-Odom Funeral Services. I am sure that I speak on behalf of many 
of my 660,000 constituents whose lives Hunter-Odom Funeral Services 
touched in the sincere, compassionate and sensitive manner in which 
they handled bereaved families as they put loved ones to rest.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased and proud to pay tribute to such an 
outstanding pillar of the Nash County community. It is my wish that God 
will continue to bless and keep each member of Mr. James Edward Odom's 
family.

                          ____________________