Paul Philip Overgaard (February 15, 1930 – February 4, 2022) was an American politician in the state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

who was a member of the Minnesota Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the oldest active political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Republican Party’s platform is relatively moderate. The party’s main issues are economic growth, education, healthcare, civi ...

, he represented District 9 (present-day district 27) in the Senate and 9A (present-day 27A) in the House, which includes portions of

Freeborn "Freeborn" is a term associated with political agitator John Lilburne (1614–1657), a member of the Levellers, a 17th-century English political party. As a word, "freeborn" means born free, rather than in slavery or bondage or vassalage. Lilbur ...

and Waseca counties in southeastern Minnesota.

Education, military, and career

Born in

Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of ...

, Overgaard graduated from Albert Lea High School. He served in the military from 1948 to 1953 and fought in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. Overgaard spent the morning of his 21st birthday on February 15, 1951, in a firefight where he parachuted twice, led a company of soldiers in battle after his commander and fellow platoon leaders fell, and sustained a gunshot wound in his thigh forceful enough to send shrapnel into his ankle and heel. He helped win the battle that erupted at 3 a.m. on his birthday in part by calling off friendly fire that would have produced a tragic result had it continued unchecked. Overgaard was awarded a Silver Star, a Purple Heart, and an article and photo in the

Minneapolis Star The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

on June 11, 1951, announcing his return to Albert Lea, then stateside service in

Ft. Bragg, North Carolina Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 29,000 military personnel. The military reserva ...

. After his return from Korea, he was a grain farmer and worked for Mutual Funds Securities as an investment adviser and as vice president of Imperial Financial Services, Inc. Overgaard died on February 4, 2022, at the age of 91.Paul Overgaard-obituary
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Minnesota House of Representatives

Elections

Overgaard was first elected in 1962. He was reelected in 1964 and 1966. He decided not to seek reelection in 1968.

Committee assignments

For the 65th legislative session, Overgaard was a part of: *Civil Administration Committee *Employees Compensation Committee *Highways Committee *Recreation and Water Resources Committee *Taxes Committee *University and College Committee For the 64th legislative session, Overgaard was a part of: *Employees Compensation Committee *General Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee *Highways Committee *Municipal Affairs Committee *Taxes Committee For the 63rd legislative session, Overgaard was a part of: *Cooperatives and Marketing Committee *Employees Compensation Committee *Industrial and Employee Relations Committee *Metropolitan and Urban Affairs Committee *Municipal Affairs Committee *Recreation and Water Resources Committee

Tenure

Overgaard represented District 31A in the Minnesota House of Representatives from January 8, 1963 to January 6, 1969 (63rd, 64th, and 65th legislative sessions).

Minnesota Senate

Elections

Overgaard was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1970. He lost reelection in 1972.

Committee assignments

For the 67th legislative session, Overgaard was a part of: *Civil Administration Committee *Commerce and Insurance Committee *Education Committee *Labor Relations Committee *Local Government Committee *Regulated Industries Committee

Tenure

Overgaard was sworn in on January 5, 1971, serving in the 67th Minnesota legislature.

Personal life

Overgaard was married to his wife, Janet. They had five daughters and lived in

References

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Overgaard, Paul 1930 births 2022 deaths Republican Party Minnesota state senators Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives American Lutherans People from Albert Lea, Minnesota Military personnel from Minnesota Businesspeople from Minnesota Farmers from Minnesota