Phone isn't rooted to my knowledge - Will that be a problem with any of the listed methods ? When googling the Odin from my phone I came across this
https://nerdschalk.com/att-galaxy-express-sgh-i437-philz-touch-advanced-cwm-recovery/ - CWM being the other alternative mentioned in your post. Are they interchangeable as in if i were to follow this guide I could simply boot into the CWM and get access to all my data ? As far as ADB i just downloaded some generic ADB android toolkit sometime back and have no idea how to use it. When I attempted to open it a black command screen prompt flashes for a second then disappears. At this point my priority is salvaging data , I wouldn't be opposed to a factory reset or flashing a ROM (which i've never done before but that seems to be your area of expertise judging by your title (PS just figured out the name too , rock on ) . But yes at this point my main priority is just to have access to my contacts and photos .