Obituary of Elizabeth Ann Brewer Overland

Elizabeth Ann Brewer Overland passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home on May 19, 2022. She had just celebrated her 83rd birthday days before her passing where she was surrounded by family and friends.

Betty Ann or Betty as she was known to many of us was born Elizabeth Ann on May 15, 1939 to Isaac and Emma (Meurer) Brewer in Adams, Minnesota. She attended Sacred Heart Catholic School and graduated from Adams High School in 1957.

After attending Austin State Junior College, she moved to the Twin Cities and worked her way up through government clerical positions to become a Transportation Specialist. In other words, she counseled government employees on how to comply with procedure to ship their household belongings around the world.

She was born a small town girl with big city dreams and ambitions, everyone who came in contact with her, was influenced by her ideas in some way or another.

Long before we ever heard of Martha Stewart “it’s a good thing,” or Julia Child’s “bon appetite,” or Miss Manners rules of etiquette, we were being schooled by Betty Ann in the ways of the world outside the sleepy little town of Adams, Minnesota.

No detail was too small to escape her attention. When she built her home in Eagan, she measured where the outlets should be and had little furniture cutouts to arrange the furniture in every room.

She will be remembered as someone who was energetic, high-spirited and fun. She was someone who loved life and had an infectious laugh. And a consummate hostess, she enjoyed entertaining family and friends.

Elizabeth was also a member of the Red Hat Society and active with the local Red Hat Cuties Club decked out in her red and purple finery. As an active member of W.I.N.G.S. (Women in

Need of Going Somewhere), she especially loved to attend and host elaborate teas with all the pomp and pageantry that would have rivaled the finest tea shoppe.

She enjoyed spending many hours creating beautiful hand-made cards, reading, and watching cooking shows for new techniques to try in her well-equipped kitchen.

Elizabeth was an incredible cook who delighted in the presentation as much as the actual consuming of the meal whether it was a Sunday dinner or a Chinese Feast. And there was always exactly the right size plate, bowl, or glass that was to be used for every occasion.

She was also a Master Baker who even made her own wedding cake when she married her beloved Donald in 1975.

Many of us are familiar with the plaque in her kitchen, “I’m not bossy, my ideas are just better.”

The results of her better ideas could have unforeseen results like the time she took out the electricity in the house, much to her brother-in-law’s (George Prescott) frustration when she decided to install a new light fixture in the North Room by herself. She followed the directions as far as the hardware store’s advice yet turning off the electricity first had been overlooked.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donald; her parents; sisters; Genevieve Brewer, Veronica Asper, Catherine Quale and Florence Prescott Goergen.

Visitation will be at St. John Neumann Catholic Church at 9:00 a.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Friday, May 27, 2022 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, Eagan, MN. Interment will be at Fort Snelling Cemetery on July 12, 2022 at 9:45 a.m.

Buffet lunch will be served at 12:00 noon after the Funeral Mass at David Fong’s Restaurant.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Elizabeth’s name to your favorite charity.

Below are links to view the service online for those who are not able to attend the Funeral Mass: http://stream.sjn.org https://www.facebook.com/pg/SJNEAGAN/videos https://www.youtube.com/user/SJNChannel