February 2, 1932 – April 30, 2026
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Justina Overultz, CSJ, who died peacefully on April 30, 2026, at Carondelet Village in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sister Justina was known for her courage, meticulous organization, and generous caregiving, as she selflessly served wherever she was needed.
She was born Leota Mae Overhultz on February 2, 1932, to parents Frank and Marion (Brandon) Overhultz, in La Fontaine, Indiana. She was raised Lutheran, and in her junior year of high school, while working as an aid at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco, Washington, 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 of Carondelet, Los Angeles Province (1951), where she spent her senior year at St. Mary’s Academy, Los Angeles (1952).
She was first missioned to teach at a children’s home on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Slickpoo, Idaho. Her summers were spent at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Los Angeles, where she earned a bachelor of arts in history and English in 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 lifelong dream to become a nurse. In 1973, she earned an associate’s degree from Lewis & Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho, and subsequent licensing in Idaho, Arizona and California. This new career path brought her to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lewiston, Idaho; St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson, Arizona; and Carondelet, Holy Family Retirement Wing, Los Angeles.
In 1981, Justina marked another chapter by making the move to the St. Paul Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. There she worked as nursing supervisor at Catholic Eldercare, in Minneapolis, until retirement. Even after retiring, she graciously volunteered to help sisters shop, get to appointments, and faithfully served as sacristan for daily Masses.
Justina loved mystery novels, Thanksgiving dinners and her four-legged sidekick, Abby. Her lighthearted smile and subtle 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.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, May 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel, in St. Paul, Minnesota, with burial following at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, MN.
Memorials are preferred to the Sisters of St. Joseph Retirement Fund.
Dear Justina, rest in love and peace.