Justina Overhultz, CSJ

Justina Overhultz, CSJ, was known for her courage, meticulous organization, and generous caregiving, as she selflessly served wherever she was needed. She was born Leota Mae to Frank and Marion (Brandon) Overhultz, in La Fontaine, Indiana, February 2, 1932, and died peacefully on April 30, 2026, at Carondelet Village in St. Paul, Minnesota. Justina was raised Luthern, and in her junior year of high school, while working as an aid at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco, WA, a Sister of St. Joseph sponsored facility, she bravely chose to become Catholic. In that same year she entered the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Los Angeles Province (1951), where she spent her senior year at St. Mary’s Academy, Los Angeles, CA (1952). She was first missioned to teach at a children’s home on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Slickpoo, ID. Her summers were spent at Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, CA, earning her a BA in History and English (1969). Over the next decade, she served as an elementary teacher at inner-city schools sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Los Angeles’ most historic neighborhoods. At 40, Justina resolutely returned to school, fulfilling a life-long dream to become a nurse. In 1973, she earned an Associates Degree from Lewis & Clark State, Lewiston, ID, and subsequent licensing in Idaho, Arizona, and California. This new career path brought her to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lewiston, ID, St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson, AZ, and Carondelet, Holy Family Retirement Wing, Los Angeles, CA. In 1981, Justina marked another chapter by making the move to the St. Paul Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph. There she worked as nursing supervisor at Catholic Eldercare, in Minneapolis, MN, until retirement. Even then she graciously volunteered to help sisters shop, get to appointements, and faithfully serve as sacristan for daily masses. Justina loved mystery novels, Thanksgiving dinners, and her four-legged sidekick, Abby. Her lighthearted smile and little twinkle in her eye will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Justina is preceded in death by her parents and her sister Bonnie Otter. She is survived by her brother Chuck (Linda) Overhultz, dear friends, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates. Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, May 29, 2026, at 11:00 AM in Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel, in St. Paul, MN, with burial following at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, MN. Memorials preferred to the Sisters of St. Joseph Retirement Fund.

Dear Justina, rest in love and peace.

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