A Memorial Service for Gerry J. Ode of Badger, MN will be held on Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 4:00PM at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will take place at Badger City Cemetery.
Gerry Jay Ode of Badger, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 65 after a short battle with cancer on June 22, 2023, with his brother and sisters at his side. He was born on September 16, 1957, in Virginia, Minnesota to Roy Newell and Irene (Anderson) Ode. His family later moved to Warren, MN and then back to Badger where he attended Badger school.
Gerry was a hard-working guy, he worked for local farmers and then decided to pursue some traveling. He and a buddy moved to Florida where he was a commercial fisherman off the Gulf of Mexico. He also painted water towers, worked in the oil fields in North Dakota, and did residential and commercial construction work with his cousin. Through his traveling jobs, he was able to take in other adventures like rafting the Colorado River, fishing the Snake River in Idaho, visiting multiple states, and meeting new people. Gerry was a good mechanic and enjoyed working on motors in his spare time.
After returning to Badger, he was a volunteer for the Badger Fire Department and First Responders for twenty-one years. Locally he worked for B&B Plumbing and Heating, Woodland, ICS, and the City of Badger.
Gerry looked up to his late Uncle Marv that won the I-500 Winnipeg to St Paul snowmobile race in 1974 with his Artic Cat. Gerry even entered the race himself one year just to give it a try. He enjoyed going to the stock car races in Greenbush supporting the local racers. For many years he competed in the Roseau County Fair demolition derby and then later helped with judging.
He loved spending time on the family farm in Duxby, fishing on Lake of the Woods and the Roseau River, hanging out with his buddies, snowmobiling, four wheeling, playing bingo, and enjoying a campfire.
Family was very important to Gerry. He enjoyed visiting with everyone especially when his nephews and nieces came to visit. He always had a good story to tell and liked to reminisce about things he and his buddy’s had done, giving us all a blast from the past, and lots of laughs. Gerry always had a dog as a pet, and he especially missed his little Jake.
Gerry is survived by his brother, Rory of Badger, MN, Carmie (Roland) Stoe of Badger, MN, Tammy (Harold) Connell of Salol, MN, Mandy Gienger of Bismarck ND; nephews and nieces Jason (Emily), Ross, Dylan (Savannah) Ode, Terry, Alicia, Adam (Amy), Justin (Lizzie) Stoe, Brian Hites, Travis Connell, Tressa (Noah) Pavek, Hayley, Brady Gienger; and Great nephews and nieces Ruthie Teorey, Brennon, Grayden, and Rory Ode, Henry and James Stoe.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Irene Ode, nephew, Brandon Hites and many aunts and uncles.
A special thank you to the LifeCare Hospice nurses for their exceptional care of Gerry.
Last modified: 06/28/2023
