Marilyn Louise Paul, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, and friend, passed away on August 21, 2026, one day after celebrating her 89th birthday. She was born August 20, 1937, in Winner, South Dakota, to Francis and Alfred Clementz.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday August 29, 2026 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 708 W. Main St. Urbana. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Champaign. Fr. Anthony Co will officiate. Visitation will be from 10:00 A. M. to 11:00 A.M. at the church.
Marilyn devoted 38 years of her life to education. She spent 36 of those years teaching at Thomasboro Grade School, where the majority of her years were spent teaching kindergarten. She was a passionate teacher who believed deeply in the importance of learning and in the potential of every child. She earned her degree in education from Mount Marty College and later returned to college at the University of Illinois, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Education. Her commitment to learning continued throughout her life.
Marilyn’s lifelong love of learning became a deep curiosity about the world around her. She channeled that curiosity into genealogy and travel, always eager to discover more about her family, other places, and the stories that connected people across generations.
She also loved to entertain and, more than anything, loved making people feel welcome. If you stopped by her home in Sellers for a visit, you could be sure she would offer you a “little something to eat”—and she would remember your favorites. Her hospitality was an expression of her love, and many people will remember the warmth, generosity, and care they felt in her home.
Marilyn was an active member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, where she made herself available to a variety of church and community activities. She also served for many years on the County Zoning Board, giving her time and energy to the community she loved. She was an active member of the colonists and the alliance chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, Francis and Alfred Clementz; her beloved husband, Norman Austin Paul.
She leaves to mourn her passing and cherish her memory her children, Austin Paul (Brenda) of Paris, Kentucky, and Ellyn Mead (Karl) of Springdale, Arkansas; her grandchildren, Ross Mead of Nashville, Tennessee; Paul and (Michelle) Mead of Clinton, Mississippi; Gretchen Mead of Houston, Texas; Spencer and (Miranda) Paul of Paris, Kentucky; and Nelson Paul of Paris, Kentucky; her two precious great-grandchildren, Lucienne Mead and Austin Paul as well as three younger sisters, Anita Breidenbach Kathleen Enders and Trish Kramer.
Marilyn’s legacy lives on in the many children she taught, the family stories she preserved, the people she welcomed into her home, and the lives she touched through her kindness, curiosity, and love of learning.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Marilyn’s memory may make a contribution to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
https://www.freesefh.com/obituary/Marilyn-Paul
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