Paul Lewis Cessna was born at home in Petty Twp., Lawrence Co., Illinois on July 10, 1915. He was the sixth of twelve children. Paul was educated in the schools of Lawrence County. Paul's father gave him the nickname of Bus, and this is what his Cessna relatives always called him. When America was in the heights of the Great Depression, Paul quit school in order to help support his family. He worked during his teens and early twenties as a farm laborer, often times staying at various farms for several weeks at a time.

In 1939, when Paul was 24 years old, he moved to Gary, Indiana to find work in the steel industry. He worked for both the American Bridge and U.S. Steel as a welder. With the onset of World War II, Paul served in a tank in the European theatre and was part of the Sixteenth Armored Division which liberated Pilsen, Czech Republic near the end of the war. Paul was discharged in mid-1946 to return to southern Illinois to help care for his ailing father, Arthur Garfield Cessna, who died on July 8, 1946. After his father's death, Paul returned to Gary, Indiana. In 1949, he became of member of the Gary Police Department. He served as a detective, a sergeant and finally lieutenant, the rank with which he retired on February 1, 1981, with 32 years of service.

His first wife was Julia May (Judy) VanDeveere Meyers of Oklahoma City, OK. They had no children of their own, but Paul cared for Julia's daughter, Patricia, who lived with them and whom Paul sent to Holy Angels School. Julia died of a stroke at the age of 42 on January 15, 1959.

On February 27, 1960, Paul married Mary Ellen Bushemi at St. Mark's Church in Gary, IN. They had one son, Kevin. Shortly after their marriage, Paul converted to Catholicism. He was baptized on February 6, 1965, and his godparents were Pat and Pearl (Macaluso) Corgan. Paul was confirmed on June 6, 1965 at Holy Angel's Cathedral, the steeple of which he had welded when he worked as a welder. His confirmation name was Paul, and his sponsor was James Neugebauer, Postmaster General in Gary, IN.

Paul was very athletic. He loved baseball and was a pitcher in the G.I. Olympics during World War II. When his playing days were over, he coached little league, loved to watch baseball on television and was a lifelong New York Yankees fan. Paul also loved to play golf and to bowl. He played on many leagues and attended many golf and bowling tournaments. Paul loved people had a congenial personality. He was always the one who organized teams and events and family parties.

Shortly after his retirement from the Gary Police Department, Paul suffered a heart attack on October 8, 1981. He spent the next 4 years suffering on and off from congestive heart failure. He went to Mayo Clinic where a pacemaker was installed in October 1983 which greatly improved his condition and enabled him to resume some normal activities. He died at Stardust Bowling Alley in Merrillville, Indiana. His last words were: "Damn it, I missed the 10 pin."