Odgaard, Anna

Anna Odgaard, 61, of Iowa City, died Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, at her home in Iowa City. Funeral services will begin 2:30 p.m. Friday at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. Pastor Kyle Otterbein will officiate. Burial will follow at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City. The family will greet friends Friday at the church from 10:30 a.m. until service time.

Anna was born in Chicago in 1951, the daughter of John and Nell Rogers. She grew up being a very active girl, participating in sports of all kinds, including horse back riding, downhill skiing, and sky diving. While attending Lake Forrest College, she won several scholarships, some of which included traveling. One of her travels took her to Denmark, where she studied at Copenhagen University. She fell in love with Denmark, and returned several times over the following years.

In 1974, she obtained residency in Denmark and started teaching English and Danish at several language schools in Copenhagen. It was at one of them she met Jacob. They got engaged in 1977. Shortly after, in late 1977, she went with Jacob to Iowa. They stayed in Iowa and married in Chicago in 1978.

They had two children, Peter, born in 1981, and Christel, born in 1987. She loved them more than anything. For several years she home-schooled them, and she spent countless hours on the road taking them to activities, Christel to dance and gymnastics, Peter to soccer, tennis, and viola. During that time she also perfected her cross stitch and needlepoint.

While raising Peter and Christel, she continued her teaching. Her favorite class was English as a Second Language, which she taught through Kirkwood. Through Kirkwood she also taught several cooking classes. Anna loved traveling. She loved Europe and toured almost all European countries. In addition to Danish, she was fluent in French. She loved to study languages.

The last few years, Anna's focus was on making memories. Despite her failing health. she made memories for Peter and Christel by taking them on several trips to Europe, Puerto Rico and Mexico, and she made memories for Jacob on their many joint trips to Europe, to Singapore and to Russia.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Nell and John Rogers.

She is survived by her husband, Jacob; daughter, Christel Odgaard; son, Peter Odgaard (fiancee Tanya Edmond); and her aunt, Mary-Jane Hubbard.

Instead of flowers, the family kindly requests memorials be directed to the Anna Odgaard Memorial Fund.

Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City is handling arrangements.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.

Published Jan. 31, 2013 in The Gazette