Cornelia Paulsen

Cornelia Marie "Cornie” Paulsen passed away December 16, 2025 at St. Paul’s Home, Belleville, Ill. at the age of 97.

Cornelia was born September 9, 1928 to Nicolae and Mary Adams in Chicago. Early in her childhood, the family relocated to Omaha, where she attended grade school and high school. After graduation, Cornelia worked for the Douglas County Courthouse in Omaha, where she typed marriage licenses. She married Reinhart Paulsen on June 25, 1947, and became a busy homemaker, great cook, and a friend to all she met.

Cornelia was a devoted long-time member of the First Lutheran Church of Omaha, where she volunteered with the Ladies Aid, teacher of VBS and Sunday School, and quilt and banner maker. She was also dedicated to providing transportation for local children to mid-week confirmation classes. In the Omaha community “Cornie” was active in the Sunset Hills Garden Club, volunteered at the Omaha Community Playhouse, was a docent at the botanical gardens, dressed up as a clown and visited local nursing homes, and helped register voters at grocery stores. In her spare time she would make “butterfly” pillows for all she met. She always had a bag of pillows to give away complete with a demonstration of how to use them. Cornie never worked outside the home until 1984 when she began selling Avon. She was a born sales person and received many awards for her sales from Avon.

In 2007, she and her (late) husband Reinhart moved to O’Fallon, Ill. where Cornie joined Blessed Savior Lutheran Church. She was active in the Blessed Savior Quilters Group, the O’Fallon Women’s Club and the O’Fallon Seniors club. She will be fondly remembered for her sweet and ready smile, generosity of spirit, friendliness to anyone she met, and the caring of others.

Cornie is survived by her children: Carol (Lester) Reinke of Oklahoma City, Okla.; Marcia Herrera (life partner Henry Magno) of West Newton, Mass.; Nancy Schmidt of O’Fallon, Ill. (special friend Greg Gasser, Collinsville, Ill.) and Dale (Luisa Lara) Paulsen of Algonquin, Ill.; grandchildren: Jonathan (Valery) Reinke, Lisa Reinke, Nicolae (Sarah) Herrera, Daniel (Kate) Herrera, Jessica (Andy Feary) Schmidt, Emily (Rigoberto) Sanchez, Kevin Schmidt, Katy (Kody) McCracken, and Alexander (Molly) Paulsen; and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Reinhart Harlan Paulsen on October 29, 2018, her father, Nicolae Adams, mother, Mary Adams (nee Dame), and sisters, Virginia Algya and Juana Jensen of Omaha, Neb., and sister Mary Obrist of Lincoln, Neb.

Visitation will be held from 2-4 pm, Saturday, January 3, 2026 at Blessed Savior Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, Ill. Celebration of Life will follow at 4 pm, with the Rev. Tony Troup officiating. Mr. and Mrs. Paulsen will be laid to rest together at the Omaha National Cemetery, near Omaha, Neb.

Online condolences may be shared at www.wth-ofallon.com. Memorial donations are suggested to First Lutheran Church of Omaha Food Pantry (https://flcomaha.org) Blessed Savior Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, Ill., and the Retina Foundation of the Southwest (https:www.retinafoundation.org).