Jean Claire (Rutten) Olderman

Jean Claire Rutten Olderman, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, and Christian died on May 17th, 2021.

Jean was born on July 5th, 1935, in Osakis, Minnesota, second oldest of 13 children to Marion and Walter Rutten. Jean grew up in Plainfield, Illinois, and summered at the family cottage on Lake Osakis. Her high school days found her playing trombone in the school’s marching band and studying Latin at St. Francis High School in Joliet, Illinois. Upon graduation, Jean attended and graduated from St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. While completing her training as a nurse in Louisville, Kentucky, she met the love of her life David J. Olderman, who was finishing a stint in the U.S. Army. They were married on December 29th, 1956 in Plainfield at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, recently reached their 65th anniversary of their engagement in May of 2021, and enjoyed 64 ½ years of marriage together. Afterwards, the newlyweds moved to Columbus, Ohio where Jean worked as a nurse and Dave attended and graduated from Ohio State University. In 1958, their first daughter, Jeanne Carol was born, followed by Jill Frances, and David Anderson; their siblings Susan, Matthew, and Jeffrey died during childbirth. With three children to raise, Jean shifted her career to being mother, wife, and homemaker. Dave’s career required the family to move from Columbus to Cleveland, to rural Ohio, Florida, and finally to New York City, but wherever the family resided Jean made their residence a warm and loving home. Upon retirement, Jean and Dave wintered in Boynton Beach, Florida, enjoying the sun, surf, and socializing with dear friends and family at the Ocean Club and Country Club of Florida. She summered at the family cabin on Kitchi Lake watching the wildlife along the shores, taking pontoon rides on the lake, and occasionally landing a trophy walleye or northern pike with her husband on the net. Holidays were joyous events, from Christmas to the 4th of July, and were celebrated with love and laughter. Jean’s faith, family, and friends were most important to her, and these relationships were treasured by one and all. Jean was a parishioner at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Bemidji and St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach, Florida. Her wisdom, humor, beauty, and loving kindness to friends and family will be her legacy. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Bemidji Food Shelf in her name.

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