Carl Elrod Dodgen

Carl Elrod Dodgen, age 58, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, went to his heavenly home on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, surrounded by his family.

Carl was born on February 4, 1966, to Bill Dodgen and Mary Louise Dodgen in Seminole, Oklahoma. He graduated from Seminole High School in 1984 where he was known for his artistic and creative abilities. Carl was the youngest of 5 siblings.

Carl owned his own woodworking business, C.D. Wood Company, where he built rustic cedar furniture, every piece was a unique work of art. His carpentry skills were demonstrated at Heritage Church, in his home, and the homes of multiple friends. One of his favorite projects to work on was building a mahogany wood climbing wall to provide healing for children in Gulu, Uganda, on a mission trip with The Recreation Project.

He operated a carpet cleaning company with his late father-in-law. In his earlier years, Carl worked at Wills Concrete, and most recently at Kasterke Auto Mart.

Carl was known for his love of animals of all shapes and sizes. He was a member of Seminole Kennel Club where he showed Boxers, ran the Pottawatomie County Boxer Rescue, and taught dog obedience classes for a number of years.

Carl’s greatest joy in life was his children and he loved his role as a stay-at-home dad for 20 years. Carl enjoyed listening to music, going for a drive, working on cars, and woodworking in his shop. His kids would tell you that there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do or build. He was happiest when he was serving others. He would drop anything to help someone in need.

He is survived in life by his wife Tara Dodgen, and children, Lauren and Tyler Mason, and his 4 children, Mary, Celia, Cody, and Mabel Dodgen and their mother, Shari Dodgen, along with his siblings Chuck and Sondra Dodgen, John and Cherry Allison, Candy Davis, and their children and grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Mary Dodgen, his stepmother, Bobbye Dodgen, his sister, Connie Scott, and his nephew, Ryan Dodgen.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2025, 11:00 a.m., at Heritage Church, 227 N Union Ave, Shawnee, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to https://gofund.me/d9b27ce5 to help cover recent medical expenses.