Gerald Overboe

Gerald (Jerry) Overboe, 94, of Fargo, ND died peacefully with family by his side on Thursday March 16, 2023 at St. Catherine North, Fargo, ND.

Gerald was born in 1929 at the home of his grandparents in Kindred North Dakota to Gilbert and Ruth (Husebye) Overboe. He grew up on his parent’s farm and graduated from Kindred High School in 1947. After earning his BS degree in Economics from NDSU, he married Jo Ann Spoonheim. They had one daughter, Jan Shirley. At just 24 years old Gerald lost his wife and 21-month-old daughter in a car accident. Following that tragic loss, he moved to Bismarck to work for International Harvester. Two years later, after accepting a position as a district manager for the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors, he moved to East Grand Forks.

It was there that he met a young widow, Gloria Sanderson on a blind date set up by mutual friends. They married two years later, beginning their life raising her two young sons and together had two girls. In 1968 a job transfer by Chevrolet brought them to Fargo where they lived until 1975. During this time, Jerry was a passenger in a car accident that nearly cost him his life. This inspired them to reevaluate what was important in life and resulted in building a home and settling on a farm where he returned to his Kindred roots, farming in the area for 17 years. After retiring he built another home on a lot on Leaf Lake, MN where he kept horses and chickens and had wonderful summers with the grandkids.

Gerald served six years in the US Naval reserve with active duty aboard the destroyer USS Eversol. He was a member of the American Legion, Kindred Lutheran Church, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, Fargo Elks and was a former president of Kindred Wildlife.

Gerald is preceded in death by his first wife and daughter Jo Ann and Jan Overboe, parents Gilbert and Ruth Overboe, and his two stepsons, John (Julie) Sanderson and Bruce (Sue) Sanderson.

He is survived by former wife Gloria Overboe, daughters Cindy (Steve) Melicher, Sue Ann (Bruce) Nelson, grandchildren Jake Melicher, and Anna (Bryan) Melicher-Freborg.

A joint memorial service for Gloria and Gerald Overboe will be held at 3 pm Thursday, June 29th at Messiah Lutheran Church: 2010 Elm St N, Fargo, ND with a visitation one hour prior.