Mother Leola Hill Odom

Mother Leola Hill Odom

A "Celebration of Life" honoring the life and legacy of  beloved mother, grandmother, great and great great grandmother, sister,  aunt, cousin, the matriarch of the Odom family, Mother Leola Hill Odom will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025, at the Morehouse Baptist Educational Association. The services will be held at eleven a.m. with Rev. Eddie Dean Montgomery serving as officiant.  A member of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Bonita, Rev. Jack Norman, pastor, Mother Odom's interment will follow in St. Luke Cemetery.  "A Gathering of Family and Friends" will be held on Thursday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Loche's Mortuary chapel.  To send flowers, words of condolence, or light a candle, kindly follow directions to the left.

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As a precautionary measure, family and friends are urged to turn on emergency flashers as we travel to St. Luke Cemetery in Bonita, LA.

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Leola’s  Life & Legacy

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil." Proverbs 31

In the spring of 1927, Morehouse Parish and most of northeast Louisiana was flooded. Folks say, "The Great Flood," as it was called, produced floodwaters that were over fifty miles wide. Families had to move to higher ground just to be be safe. The families on the Hill place, like so many others, left their homes with wives and children in tow. David Hill, with his young wife, Georgia, who was expecting their first child left.

By October, the immediate danger had passed, but the folks in the small hamlet of Bonita still struggled with the impact of The Great Flood. They returned home to mass destruction and devastation. But Horace Hill, the patriarch of the family, had conditioned and trained his children how to work. And, WORK, they did to restore some normalcy to their lives.

By this time, Georgia, who was now great with child, prepared for the delivery of their first born of twelve children. On October 9, 1927, still recovering from The Great Flood, David and Georgia were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. They named her Leola, a name that epitomizes the powerful and majestic qualities associated with a lioness. “Leola,” a name that carried a strong, unique, and empowering yet feminine presence. Now, David and Georgia, didn’t really think about these qualities. OR, DID THEY?

Young Leola, who was lovingly given the nickname, “Soon,” ('cause she always got up “soon” in the morning) grew up in a home filled with love, discipline, and a deep and profound faith in God. During this time, the eldest of the family, Leola, held the position that put her in charge of her siblings: David, Jr., Julia B, Othanell, Cleotha, Sammy Lee, Inez, John L., Theopplis, Hazel, Charles, and baby, Lafayette when the parents were not there. Being the oldest of twelve, she also assumed the role of disciplinarian. She DID NOT Play.  On one occasion, she even had to use a shotgun to assert her "lioness authority."  SHE DID NOT PLAY!

On September 23, 1942, Ms. Leola Hill became Mrs. James Odom.  Like her mother, they were the parents of twelve children: Alex, Dessie, Emmitt, Ivory James, Theabury, Bernate, Carlette, Alice, Earnest, Alma, Teretha, and Michael. Her husband, James, "Cutter," Odom preceded her in death.

Her love for cooking led her to  employment with the USDA Nutritional Program and Hillview Nursing Home. She was recognized as the oldest member of the Queen Christina Chapter Sixty-Six, Esther Grand Chapter Order of Eastern Star.

 Although her children and grandchildren moved away, whenever they came home, everyone would congregate at "MaDear's House" to share good food, laughter, and fond memories of days gone by.  "MaDear," would sit quietly, sometimes holding  a new addition, and smile at "all of her blessings.

On August 19, 2025, in the wee hours of the morning, Mother Leola Hill Odom, surrounded by Emmitt and Lenzy, Theabury and Linda, Bernate and James, Alma and Eddie, and special caregivers moved from this earthly home to her "brand new home."

"Her children arise and call her blessed…"

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah."

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mother Leola Hill Odom, please visit our floral store.