OBITUARY Odelin “Odie” Douglas Asscherick July 19, 1938 – October 28, 2018 Odelin Douglas Asscherick, born 19 July 1938 at Baptist Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana to Leon Odelin Asscherick and Aline Marie Darby Asscherick. Odie had two brothers, the late David Darby Asscherick, of New Caney, TX and Richard Lane Asscherick of Casa Grande, AZ. Odie attended St. Rita’s Catholic grade school and Menard Memorial High School in Alexandria, Louisiana.
He was active in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) as a cadet in high school and then as a CAP Senior Member. He was instrumental in organizing the Rapides Parish CAP Cadet Squadron when the Menard CAP Cadet Squadron was disbanded and was its first Squadron Commander. Odie later served as a CAP Major on the Louisiana State CAP Staff.
Odie was employed by Cotton Brothers Holsum Bakery in Alexandria from age 18 into his 30’s, when he moved to Houston, Texas to become a Letter Carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and to locate near his mother, Aline Marie Darby Asscherick Johnston and her husband George Johnston and older brother, David Asscherick and his family. Working for the Postal Service led Odie to finding the love of his life, Agnes Marie Buren. They were married at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, on Hall Road, on 29 August 1987.
Odie and Marie were married for over 31 years at his demise. Odie worked as a Letter Carrier in Houston, Texas at Park Place, South Post Oak, Genoa, and Windmill Stations. He retired in 1998.
He was known by the nickname “Big Bird” by the letter carriers he worked with as well as the children in the neighborhood along his delivery route. Odie served as the EMT for the Southeast Volunteer Fire Department in the South Belt area for a number of years. He also was an Amateur Ham Radio enthusiast.
His call numbers were K9LSU. Odie was a Third Degree Charter Member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church. (He became a Life Member.
) He was also a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, Assembly No. 2187, in Pasadena, Texas. In the year 2000, he became a Texas Master Gardener and later the same year, he became a Texas Master Naturalist.
He started volunteering for Armand Bayou Nature Center and the Genoa Friendship Garden the same year. He loved birdwatching and volunteered by doing Christmas Bird Counts and the Great Backyard Bird Count. He submitted his bird checklists to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
He also performed turtle patrol in Galveston and has spoken to the public about Mexican Free Tailed Bats at Waugh Drive in Houston and at Armand Bayou Nature Center. One of his proudest moments was when he was recognized for his 10,000 hours of volunteer service at the Texas Master Naturalist State Conference in 2017. He loved to talk about the weather and he would phone relatives and friends to let them know when bad weather was headed their way.
I always told him that he should have been a Weather Man. Odie was interested in genealogy. Some of his ancestors were listed as: St. Arnold, St. Constantine, St. Helena, and St. Joseph of Arimathea (who provided the tomb for Jesus).
Odie joined Jesus and his ancestors on Sunday, October 28, 2018. Visitation will be held Monday, November 5 from 5:00-7:00PM with a Rosary starting at 6:00PM at Forest Park East Funeral Home located at 21620 Gulf Freeway Webster, Texas 77598. A Celebration of Mass will be held Tuesday, November 6 at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church at 11:00AM.
Immediately following Odie will be laid to rest at Forest Park East Cemetery. A Reception will immediately follow at St. Luke the Evangelist Church reception hall.
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