Edelgard (Krebs) Paul, beloved widow of Donn Paul, died May 22 following a brief illness. She was born September 21, 1941 in Mainz, Germany. The youngest of six children, Edelgard grew up in the reconstruction of post-war Germany, demonstrating early on the positive and tireless perseverance that defined her life.

In the 1980s, Edelgard traveled occasionally to St. Marys, Ohio to visit with her beloved cousin, Zita Bidwell. During one visit, Edelgard met the love of her life, Donn Paul. A widower with three grown sons, Donn was charmed by Edelgard's warmth and compassion. She restored his love of life and the couple wed in 1985. She and Donn sailed their beloved Grand Lake in Celina, Ohio and traveled around the world. Together, they moved from the cold winters of Ohio to the perpetual sunshine of the The Villages in 2007. In this new community, they enjoyed the warmth of friends, both new and old, and retained their love of sailing by serving as members in The Ohio Club and The Sailboat Club until Donn passed in 2012. Edelgard will be deeply missed.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donn; parents, Phillip and Margareta Krebs; and siblings, Otmar, Heinrich, Hans, and Marga. She is survived by her sister, Elli (Fred) Rapp of Heidesheim, Germany; her cousin, Zita Bidwell of St. Marys, Ohio; her three step-sons Mike (Karen) Paul of Santa Monica, California, David (Dorothy) Paul of New York, and Eric (Sally) Paul of Ann Arbor, Michigan; her step-granddaughter, Davita Paul of Santa Monica; and numerous extended family members in Germany.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of one's choosing.