Odell Greenleaf was born to Sam Fant Jones and Hattie Mae Jones, February 11, 1939, she was the second born of ten children. Odell confessed her hope in Christ at an early age and became a member of Plum Grove Church.  Years later she became a member of Pepper Hill Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Reverend Frank Johnson. Lastly, she moved her membership to Southside Missionary Baptist Church to be closer to home,  the Pastor at that time was the late Pastor Isaac Lacy, later Pastor Clinton McFarland and the present leadership of Pastor Rayfield Evins. Odell served faithfully, until her health would no longer allow her to do so.  She served on the Kitchen Ministry for many years, she also served on the Southside Youth Summer Camp Ministry.

Odell had a passion for people. She loved her family dearly. She believed whole heartily in doing right by people and treating them the way she would want them to treat her. She always would say, "If you don't have anything good to say about a person, don't say nothing at all."  She loved the Lord with all her heart and did not mind sharing her stories of what He had done for her.

Odell was a diligent worker. She was a presser for Sanitary Laundry in the sixties, until it closed. She later served as a Childcare Provider and later became a Caregiver for various individuals. She was a great cook and was known for her good biscuits, fried corn and okra, greens, butter rolls and greasy cornbread.

Besides her parents, Sam Fant Jones, and Hattie Mae Jones she is preceded in death by her siblings, Earnest Jones and Catherine Walker.

To always remember and cherish her memories: her loving husband, James Greenleaf; her children, David Earl Jones and Lucille (Clarence) Levy of Columbus, MS; siblings, William Jones, Margaret (Robert) Williams, Helen Davis,  and Carrie Harris all of East St. Louis, IL, Ruthie Jones, Betty (John) Harvey and Jeanette Jones of Boston, MA; her seven grandchildren, Nikki Johnson Columbus, MS, Terico Greenleaf of Decatur, GA, Toccara Ellis and Malcolm Brown of Columbus, MS, Kacey Melvin, Keelin Melvin, and Kortney Melvin of North Carolina;  a host of great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends, also she acknowledged three special young men as her Godsons, Roosevelt Windham, Tommy Sherrod and Marvin Washington.