Paul Kenneth Edwards

(April 5, 1925 – September 4, 2019)

Paul Kenneth Edwards (PK), 94, of Cook, MN passed away at Cook Carefree Assisted Living on September 4, 2019.

PK was born on April 5, 1925 in New Philadelphia, Ohio to Edna and Raymond Edwards.  He was the 4 ^th child of 8.

After graduating from New Philadelphia High School, PK served in the Army Air Corps from July 26, 1943 to Feb. 2, 1946.  He earned the rank of 2 ^nd Lieutenant and served as a Radar Instructor.  PK then enrolled in Missouri School of Mines in Rolla, Missouri where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering, graduating in 1949. PK was a highly respected engineer in the silica sand industry. With a career spanning 50 years, PK managed, designed, and consulted in silica sand plant operations in Wisconsin, Michigan,
Tennessee, Illinois, Texas, California, as well as Germany, Norway, Belgium, China, and Venezuela.

PK met the love of his life, Dorothy Elaine Wullschleger in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin in 1951.  They were married May 3, 1952. PK and Dorothy raised 6 children. PK's engineering career troubleshooting at sand plants enabled the family to live in Illinois, Tennessee, Michigan, Connecticut, and Minnesota throughout their 67 years of marriage. Highlights of the Edwards family were 3-week camping vacations in the Rocky Mtns, Maine, Nova Scotia, Yellowstone, Glacier, the Smoky Mountains, Washington, DC and more.    PK and Dorothy were proud grandparents of 14, and great – grandparents of 11 children.

PK said his greatest accomplishment was designing and overseeing the building of the Ottawa Silica Sand plant in St. Peter, Minnesota.  While living in LeSueur, MN during the building of this plant, PK and Dorothy, who loved fishing, discovered Lake Vermilion. They rented a cabin at Pearson's Lodge for many summers.  In 1985, they purchased property with Brother-in-law, Richard Wullschleger, on Raps Rd and officially retired to live there permanently in 1990.  In their retirement years, PK and Dorothy traveled extensively throughout Europe and England. With their married children and grandchildren living in Missouri, Montana, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, their travels also took them across the United States quite often.

Over his lifetime, PK's hobbies included woodworking, especially designing, carving, and painting WWII fighter plane models, and designing beautiful cabinets for Dorothy and his children.  Fishing on the lake with Richard, always striving to catch that big Northern Pike, participating in the DNR Volunteer Program, and counting loons every July were the summer activities. Every summer for the last 30 years, PK and Dorothy's children and grandchildren always spent the last two weeks of July at the house on Lake Vermilion.  During the winter months, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, playing bridge with other Raps Rd couples, bird watching from the warmth of the sunroom, and working 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzles, kept PK and his beautiful wife, Dorothy, entertained.

PK is survived by his wife, Dorothy, his children, Diane (Tom) Draper, Cathy (Denis) Burand, Janet (George) Csolak, Sandy (John) Halonen, and John (Maggie) Edwards, his 14 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren; sister Mary Jane Kohl, and brother Rich Edwards; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, 5 of his siblings, his son, Philip Edwards, and his brother-in-law, Richard Wullschleger.

PK's grandchildren called him Poppi. They will lovingly remember his advice for a long, happy life. "Don't smoke or drink in excess, choose a career that brings you happiness and is meaningful, and find the right mate to share your life with."  Indeed, PK accomplished all of that.

A celebration of life will be scheduled for July 2020 at the home on Lake Vermilion. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National WWII Museum, nationalww2museum.org. To leave on online condolence visit www.mlakerfuneralhome.com