Tuesday night, 4 December 2013, I received a phone call from Scott Odum informing me that his mother, and my dear friend, [Margaret] Louise Odum, age 86, passed away in her sleep around 9pm that same night. Her health had been gradually declining following an accident many years earlier, but true to her people person personality she lived life energetically until the end. I met Louise around the mid-1990s while I was trucking and during the heyday of my music career. She was the general manager of Western Outlet, a western clothing store on Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee. We hit it off and she took me under her wings and became of one several "road" moms who had adopted me while I was trucking. She always keep me well dressed for my stage performances with buckles and shirts, and had a heart as big as Texas. I enjoyed many visits at the store and her home in Lebanon, Tennessee, and her Tennessee tales. I visited her off and own after my forced retirement from trucking following a neck injury in November 2003. Though I sensed she was on her final journey when we talked on the phone as we did quite often, I was still devastated when Scott delivered the news. I'll surely miss her for she truly touched my heart. Love ya, Louise, or "young'un" as we used to say to each other!
Mike Johnson
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