LAFAYETTE PARISH — Family and friends gathered under gray skies Saturday morning at Ascension Episcopal Church to honor and remember 17-year-old Martha Odom, the Lafayette teenager killed in a shooting at a Baton Rouge mall last month.
Odom, a senior at Ascension Episcopal School, was remembered as a gifted student, dancer, writer and leader whose life left a lasting impact on those around her.
“Martha filled every moment of her life with purpose,” her obituary said.
Following the funeral service, Odom was laid to rest during a private burial at Lafayette Protestant Cemetery.
Odom spent more than a decade studying classical ballet and performed in 10 productions of The Nutcracker with the Lafayette Ballet Theatre.
At Ascension Episcopal School, Odom balanced academics and the arts with athletics and extracurricular activities. She competed in varsity soccer, softball and tennis and participated in organizations including Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta and the National English Honor Society.
Odom had planned to attend The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, as part of the Class of 2030. She intended to major in English and creative writing and rhetoric while minoring in dance.
Her obituary noted that she leaves behind “a prolific body of writing, stories, and essays,” along with memories cherished by family, classmates and friends.
