The midwife lived in the Southern Highlands for 53 years and celebrated her 80th birthday in May.

From the age of 16, Mrs Krebs worked as a nurse and midwife in training at Young Hospital for four years, before she moved to the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington for two years.

She left Paddington for a position at Wingecarribee Hospital before she started a role as a mental health worker at Westwood, now the site of Annesley Bowral.

Mrs Krebs returned to midwifery with a position at Bowral and District Hospital, where she worked for 43 years.

Rosemary Krebs’ daughter Cherrie Krebs said her mother delivered generations of babies.

“Without a doubt, she touched a lot of lives,” Ms Krebs said.

“She loved her job, it’s what she was born to do, help babies and mums.

“When we were children she used to wear a badge that said ‘babies are beautiful’.”

Mrs Krebs was married to Cecil Krebs and the couple had six children, 21 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Mr and Mrs Krebs’ children include Cherrie, Tony, Christopher, Scott, Richard and Michael.

Cherrie Krebs said her mother loved her family and modeled many positive characteristics to Cherrie and her siblings.

“She was a caring and compassionate human being,” Ms Krebs said.

“She [also] taught us to get up and get on with it.”

When Mrs Krebs retired as a full-time midwife, she signed up to be a casual employee for three years until she was 77-years-old.

“She didn’t lose her independence, she wouldn’t have been happy,” Ms Krebs said.

Mrs Krebs’ granddaughter Bianca O’Brian said her grandmother was devoted to her profession.

“She stayed after her shifts had finished to help deliver babies,” Mrs O’Brien said.

“They were long shifts but she loved every one of them.”

Mrs Krebs’ granddaughter Alana Krebs said her grandmother cared about people.

“She had time for you, it didn’t matter who you were or what your past was,” she said.

“If I could grow up to be an old lady like her, I’d be happy.”

Cherrie Krebs said her mother had an impact on the lives of many families in the community.

“You couldn’t walk down the street without people saying she delivered their children,” she said.

“She’s just that sort of woman. She was very well-loved in the Highlands.” 

Mrs Krebs’ funeral will be held at St John’s Church, Moss Vale at 2pm on Thursday.

The family requests funeral attendees make a donation to the maternity unit at Bowral Hospital in the place of flowers.