Ruth Overman

Ruth Overman (Mattson), age 87, passed away peacefully on November 8, 2019 from Alzheimer’s disease. Ruth was born on March 17, 1932 to Sadie and Leslie Mattson of Markham, Minnesota.

Ruth was raised in northern Minnesota on the Iron Range. When jobs became scarce, she moved to Minneapolis in 1963. She was good with numbers and quickly found work with an accounting agency. It was not an easy life for her back then, but Ruth was a strong, smart woman and she got through the hard times and enjoyed the good times, like a Finn. In December 1967 she married Carl Overman and together they had a rich, full life. They traveled cross-country many times, played golf and bowled, went camping, went to Vegas, created a warm and comfortable home (daughter, Mary says it was the best house on the block), and had many fabulous parties (sometimes lasting into the wee hours!). They had a lot of fun and loved to be with family and friends. They were foster parents for several years, and also became adopted grandparents of 2 young children that lived across the street.

Ruth was a talented seamstress and also enjoyed knitting, crochet, needlepoint, gardening, singing in a choir, making quilts, adopting stray cats, and spoiling her grandchildren. She never backed down from hard work or helping people. In 1990, Ruth and Carl retired and moved back to her beloved Iron Range and they continued their rich, full life for 25 years. Ruth did not retire completely then but began a career with a home care agency. She called her clients “my ladies” and cared deeply about them. She was 78 when she fully retired. In 2014, Ruth and Carl moved back to Minneapolis to a condo; instead of worrying about plowing a driveway, thawing frozen pipes, and mowing acres of lawn, she spent her time with her family and her cats.

Ruth is survived by her husband of 52 years, Carl Overman; daughters Sherry McCarthy and Mary Pearson (Victor); grandsons Ian McCarthy and Connor McCarthy; brother Melvin Mattson, many nieces and nephews, and her beloved cats Mika and Mutty.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Sadie and Leslie Mattson; son, Jon Kumpula; brothers Martin and Wilbert, and sister Alice Kahtava.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Ruth Overman will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at Billman Hunt, 2701 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN. Visitation starts at 12:00 noon. Lunch will be served after the service.

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