Our beloved retired Parish Administrator, Jennifer Overby, passed away on December 28, 2022. We are grateful for her love, dedication, and service to St. Bernard's, and she will be greatly missed by our entire community. All are invited to attend Jennifer's Rosary & Funeral Mass.

May the choirs of angels come to greet you.
May they speed you to paradise.
May the Lord enfold you in His mercy.
May you find eternal life. 


 

Jennifer Marie Overby

Our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Jennifer Marie Overby, passed onto new life with our Lord Jesus Christ, on December 28, 2022, after a two-year battle with cancer.

Jennifer was born on January 31st, 1958, in Linton, North Dakota, and raised on a dairy farm near Herreid, South Dakota. As one of eight children, all were expected to work hard on the farm and this strong work ethic remained in Jennifer throughout her life. Her parents, Donald and Cyrella (nee Keller) Weisbeck, as well as her grandparents Herman & Marie Weisbeck, were active in the church life of Saint Michael’s Catholic Church in Herreid. As a youth, Jennifer was active as a lector and catechist at her church.  Jennifer was also active in Herreid High School cheerleading, track, choir, and played the French horn in the school band. She participated in 4-H and won awards for her sewing skills, including sewing cheerleading outfits for herself and fellow squad members.

Following high school, Jennifer enrolled at Black Hills State College where she studied business and accounting. She spent many years in the banking industry, receiving several recognitions. Thanks to a co-worker in Rapid City, she met her future husband, Gary Overby in 1978 and were married at Saint Michael’s Church in 1979. Gary’s law enforcement career had the family moving to several locations in South Dakota and Iowa. In 1986 Gary’s employer, the United States Department of Justice, transferred him to the San Francisco Bay Area, where the family settled in the community of Tracy.

Jennifer’s participation as a youth in Saint Michael’s parish life inspired her adult participation in the life of Saint Bernard’s Parish in Tracy, where she was a parishioner for the remainder of her life. She started her volunteer involvement at Saint Bernard’s with the Ministry of Caring, then became a Eucharistic Minister, lector, and catechist. Jennifer also found herself volunteering for many special events.

Jennifer’s accounting skills were put to good use when she switched from banking and was hired by Saint Bernard’s to develop an accounting system for accounts payable and receivable as well as starting the SCRIP program at St. Bernard’s School. In 1998, she transferred to the parish office at the request of the pastor, Monsignor Ivo Rocha. “It is hard to turn down a priest,” she said, so she agreed to take on the role of business manager and within two years was named parish administrator. Until illness forced her retirement in 2021, Jennifer worked with Monsignor Rocha and then his successor, Father David Dutra. As the parish administrator, Jennifer wore many hats taking care of the finances, personnel, facility scheduling, fundraisers, special events, the Holy Family Center Capital Campaign, and more.

She drew inspiration from Saint Theresa of Calcutta and once reflected, “Mother Theresa’s giving of herself in such a humble way inspired me and reminded me that what we do, is for the Glory of God and His people.” In 2018, Bishop Myron Cotta of the Diocese of Stockton presented Jennifer with the Diocese of Stockton Lifetime of Lay Ministerial Service Award for her service to her community and the Catholic Church.

When she was not at St. Bernard’s, Jennifer loved being with her family, sewing, traveling, baking, crafting with her grandchildren, and visiting friends & relatives in South Dakota.  She never lost sight of her humble origins and remained devoted to her faith, her family, and her community.

Jennifer is survived by her husband Gary, son Mathew (Alexandra) Overby of Flower Mound, Texas, daughters Natalie (Steven) Kukesh of Ripon, California, and Christine Overby of Tracy, California, their grandchildren, Paige & Nolan Overby, Ella, Piper, Harlow, & Calvin Kukesh, her mother, Cyrella Weisbeck of Herreid, SD, sister Jacqueline (Terry) Borr of Rapid City, South Dakota, brother Ricardo (Diane) Weisbeck of Eureka, South Dakota, brother Jeffery (Stephanie) Weisbeck, of Mesa, Arizona, brother Randall (Kathy) Weisbeck of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Junella (Kurt) Kost of Vermillion, South Dakota.  Jennifer was preceded in death by her father Donald Weisbeck, brother James Weisbeck, and sister Jacinta (Edward) Schortzmann.

Visitation will be at St. Bernard’s Church, on January 11, 2023 at 6:30 pm followed by the Rosary at 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial for Jennifer will be celebrated at Saint Bernard’s on January 12, 2023 at 1:30 pm with a reception at Father Fleming Hall afterwards.

A Committal service for her remains will be celebrated at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Rapid City at 10:00 am on January 24, 2023.  She will be laid to rest in the Mount Calvary section of Mountain View Cemetery in Rapid City.  Funeral arrangements in Tracy are being handled by the Tracy Memorial Chapel and in Rapid City at Kirk’s Funeral Home.

To honor Jennifer and her great love for children, a scholarship fund in her memory is being established at Saint Bernard’s School to aid students in need of tuition assistance.  Donations in Jennifer’s memory can be sent to St. Bernard’s School at 165 West Eaton Avenue, Tracy, California, 95376.