Karin was born March 22, 1944, in Gary, IN, to Otho Ward Hatten and Genevieve (Shannon) Hatten Benedict. She joined siblings, Nancy and Donald Hatten.

In 1959, Karin moved from Indiana to Moorcroft. She attended Moorcroft High School.

Karin married Donald Samuel O'Dell on December 30, 1961, in Newcastle, WY. She lived in Moorcroft until 1976 when the family moved to Stavanger, Norway, where they lived for the next 2 years. In 1978, the family moved back to Moorcroft where they resided until their children were raised and gone. In 1986, they moved to Pine Haven. Don passed away in August 2010, and Karin remained in Pine Haven until her death.

In the early years, Karin was a stay at home mom except during hunting season at which time she worked for Moorcroft Grocery cutting and packing meat. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, she managed The Keg Liquor Store. In the early 1990's, Karin managed the Keyhole Country Club for several years. After she gave up the Country Club, she went to work for Frank and Maxine Harwood at Harwood Lumber where she worked for the next 15 years. She loved to do exquisite counted cross-stitch pictures, work outside in the yard, fish, and spend time with her family. She especially loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Over the years, Karin was a member of the Crook County Recreation board, wanting to continually make improvements for the residents of Crook County. She also was a long-term volunteer as a voting poll watcher and assisted with the yearly health fair at Pine Haven.

Karin Mae (Hatten) O'Dell, 68, Pine Haven, WY, died Sunday, May 6, 2012, at the home of her son and his significant other in Gillette, WY, following a long hard fought battle with cancer.

She is survived by her daughter, Yvonne (O'Dell) and David Pitts, Edmond, OK; her son, Ed O'Dell (Sonya Peterson), Gillette, WY; grandchildren, Tawnya Rameriz (Oliver), Aurora, CO, Raechell O'Dell (Morgan Splichal), Nicholas O'Dell, and Joshua O'Dell (Randi), all of Gillette, WY, Brian Pitts and Rebecca Pitts, Edmond, OK, and Leeland O'Dell, Jennifer O'Dell, Jared O'Dell, and Josh Peterson, all of Gillette, WY; great-grandchildren, Michaela O'Dell, Madyson O'Dell, Blake O'Dell, Freedom O'Dell, Jadess Bengston, and Dillon Ave, all of Gillette; and her faithful dog and friend, Babe. Special friends who gave us exceptional support during Karin's long battle with cancer were Linda Spath, Marilyn Longthorne, and Pat Burks.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; son, Ron; her parents, Ward Hatten and Genevieve Benedict; and siblings, Nancy Stevens and Don Hatten.

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