Kenneth Bernard "Digger" O'Dell's Obituary
Kenneth Bernard "Digger" O'Dell , of Memphis, Tennessee passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2026. He was born in Peers, Alberta, Canada, to Pearl Bergquist O'Dell and Wilbur George O'Dell. His family moved to the US when he was five years old and they settled in Green Forest, Arkansas. He and his siblings, Roberta "Bobby" Cantrell, Yvonne "Berkie" Simmons, Doug O'Dell, David O'Dell, and Linda O'Dell went to the school of the Ozarks. It is there that he developed his huge love of plants.
He served in the US Navy as a hydraulics specialist. After the service, he embarked on his lifelong journey into horticulture. He worked at numerous nurseries, was a traveling plant salesman and then opened his own nursery. Initially, it was called Dello Nurseries in Memphis. After several years, he moved on to open Digger O’Dell Nurseries. Once Digger O’Dell Nurseries was well on its way, he “retired” to the Kansas City area and began his involvement with the Kansas Native Plant Society. He then retired again back to Memphis.
He will be fondly remembered by his children, Amelia O’Dell, Steven O’Dell (Stephanie), Virginia (William) Hornbuckle, grandchildren Luba and Magun O’Dell and Lillian and Everett Hornbuckle, and great grandson Tiberius Wilson.
In order to celebrate his life, he would have loved to know a donation was made in his memory to the Memphis Botanic Garden.
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