JENNIFER M. OVERBY
2018 Bishop's Awards Honoree - Lifetime of Lay Ministerial Service

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” - PSALM 27

Jennifer Overby was born in the small town of Herreid, South Dakota, where she was raised as one of eight children on her parents’ dairy. All the children were expected to work hard on the dairy, and this strong work ethic stayed with Jennifer. Her mother and father, as well as her grandparents, were active in the life of the church at St. Michael’s, their parish. Jennifer was also very active in various ministries at her church.

When it was time for Jennifer to attend college, she matriculated at Black Hills State College where she pursued a business and accounting major. She spent many years in the banking industry, receiving several recognitions, and, at one point, thanks to a co-worker in Rapid City, she met her future husband, Gary. They married at St. Michael’s Church in 1979. Gary’s law enforcement career had the family move to several locations in South Dakota and Iowa. In 1986 they settled in Tracy.
Jennifer’s participation in high school choir and as a lector influenced her adult participation in the life of St. Bernard’s Parish, where she has been a member for 32 years. She started her volunteer involvement 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 was first employed by the parish to develop an accounting system for accounts payable and receivable as well as start the SCRIP program at St. Bernard’s School. In 1997, she transferred to the parish office at the request of Msgr. Ivo Rocha. “It is hard to turn down a priest,” so she agreed to take on the role of business manager and within two years was named parish administrator. For the next 22 years, Jennifer worked with Msgr. Rocha, and now Fr. David Dutra. As the parish administrator, Jennifer wears many hats taking care of the finances, personnel, facility scheduling, fund raisers, special events, and more.

One of the biggest challenges she faced was working on the Capital Campaign. “It taught me so much about myself and the people of our parish.” In her role, Jennifer is familiar with all the different ministries of the parish and the people who serve so generously. “I strive to discern and appreciate their needs and do what I can to facilitate their mission and success.” And St. Bernard’s is a parish that has grown tremendously. When Jennifer started at St. Bernard’s, there were 5500 parishioners enrolled; today that number is 7800.

She is also drawn to St. Theresa of Calcutta: “Her giving of herself in such a humble way inspires me and reminds me that what we do is for the Glory of God and His people.” Like her favorite saint, Jennifer derives joy from doing good for others. Her strong work ethic continues to this day, as her work at St. Bernard’s goes beyond an eight-hour work day. She is usually behind the scenes at all the major events.

When Jennifer is not at St. Bernard’s, she is with her family. Gary and Jennifer are the proud parents of three adult children, Matt, married to Alexandra; Natalie, married to Steven Kukesh, and Christine, who is currently in her sixth year of teaching at St. Bernard’s School. All of the Overby children attended St. Bernard’s School and Central Catholic High School. Jennifer is also blessed with two in-laws and five beautiful grandchildren.

Jennifer’s advice to young people trying to live a spiritual life is to find peace and solitude where they can speak to God and to block out the noise and distractions of society, like negative media. Jennifer also advises to stay God-centered with good morals and values.