Paul Gene Eness
Ames - Paul Gene Eness, 86, of Ames, Iowa, passed away in the comfort of his own home with his family by his side on August 31, 2020. As much as we (and he) would love a large gathering, current circumstances limit us to a private family service to be held on Saturday, September 5, 2020 with a burial at Saint Petri Cemetery to follow.
Paul was born on August 25, 1934 in Ames, Iowa to Eugene and Gerene (Peterson) Eness. Paul was a 1952 graduate of Gilbert High School and received his Bachelor's of Dairy Science from Iowa State University in 1956 and served his country by enlisting in the United States Army in 1956 and was honorably discharged in 1958. Paul married Margot Bannister at the Gilbert Lutheran Church in 1960. He graduated with his DVM from ISU in 1963. He went into private practice for 5 years and returned to ISU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1968 as a professor in Clinical Sciences.
To the farmers of Central Iowa, he was Doc. To the hundreds of veterinary students he taught and mentored over 30 years, he was Dr. Eness. To his five children, he was always Paul, never Dad or Daddy.
Paul woke up every day at sunrise and did his chores, tending to his sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, before heading into work at ISU. He liked lecturing fine but he LOVED taking the senior vet students out on calls on the farms surrounding Ames. He delighted in meeting vet students, young men and women, from all over the world and watching them connect with each other and with the farming community.
On weekends and evenings, he volunteered on the boards of Gilbert Lutheran church, Bethany Manor and the Story County Fair. For many years he also loved working as the Iowa State Fair veterinarian in the summer. You'd also often find him shearing sheep, mowing his lawn, or fixing a fence. He ran in dozens of road races with Margot and at 60, completed his first marathon. Avid Cyclone fans, Paul and Margot were season ticket holders to both the ISU football and girls' basketball games.
After he "retired," he and Margot moved to the beautiful Big Sky Ranch outside of Dayton and made new friends of his amazing neighbors, always with sheep and cows and border collies and grandchildren all around. And they travelled—to the land of his ancestors (Norway) and Margot's (Scotland), to Ghana and to Latvia to visit one of his favorite vet students and her family.
When Parkinson's Disease came to visit and wouldn't leave, Paul delighted in singing, dancing and boxing with new friends he made through the amazing Parkinson's Disease classes provided by Dr. Stegemoller and her kinesiology students.
Left to cherish Paul's memory is his wife of 60 years, Margot, and his children: Molly (Tom Birkland) Eness, Dana (Jason Wiese) Eness, Allison (Mark Taylor) Eness, Daniel (Natalie) Eness, and Jason Eness; siblings Linda Flaherty, Kirsten (Clifford) Barta, David (Debi) Eness and Jack Miller; grandchildren Oskar and Isaak Birkland, Sadie and Aidan Wiese, Lydia Heydlauff, Max, Grace, Ella, and Sam Eness, and Lucy Eness-Potter; and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins and all of his beloved "adopted" sons and daughters.
Paul is preceded in death by his parents Eugene and Gerene and his sister Janice Miller and nephew John Flaherty.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Disease Research Fund in Kinesiology at www.neuromotorlab.com
Online condolences may be directed to www.Grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Ames Tribune from Sep. 2 to Sep. 3, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Paul Eness

Sponsored by Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care.

10 Entries

Dr. Ed and Berna Moss

August 27, 2024

We remember his warm smile and gentle chuckle!

Carolyn (McCann) Bonanno

January 5, 2023

I had many fond memories of working with Paul in 4-H. I was the girl's leader, and he was the boys. He was a wonderful example to young people. I worked at the Vet School and always enjoyed his smile. He came to our farm and worked on our cattle and when I had a few cows on my own he was always willing to bring students out to my modest few. I was his children's 4-H leader, and they were a treasure to work with. May he enjoy a sweet reprise somewhere in the beyond.

Bruce L Hull

October 3, 2020

Sorry to see a fremd and colleague succumb to this never ending disease. God rest.

Bruce L. and Margaret E. Hull

Jill Cory (McHone)

September 8, 2020

What a wonderful gentleman! A teacher, a mentor, a friend and well, he ( and all of his family), was family! I know my parents thought of him as family as well. Much love an d big hugs to you all!

Tom Hemann

September 5, 2020

Deepest sympathies to Margot and to Paul‘s family on the loss of a great man He did really love to do I worked at Fort Dodge animal health and all the veterinarians that I came across were students of Paul And they had such great words to Sam about him He was a neighbor to my best friend And we shared some times.
He was a gentlest kindest man and knowledgeable that I’ve known And he will be deeply missed But his memories will persist He was so in love with his love of his life and family Now he is in God‘s everlasting eternity to see with us again.
Tom and Aaron Hemann

Dr. Ron Griffith and Dr. Sue O'Brien Griffith

September 4, 2020

I first met Dr. Eness in 1978 when I started working at the veterinary college. He was always welcoming, friendly and respectful of me as colleague. At that time, not everyone was like that with women in our profession. Our offices were next to one another, and he always had a cheerful greeting for me and would occasionally seek my advice for companion animal problems.

In 1982 we bought a farm about 5 miles from Gilbert, where Paul grew up. He took quite an interest in this when he found out where our new home was.

"Your farm is on part of Zenorsville", he told us. "That was a coal mining settlement."

Then he gave us information and pictures about Zenorsville, and told us some stories about it.

We started to buy and feed out beef calves on our farm. One year, early in our beef feeding adventure, we had a group of finished steers that we planned to sell the first week of the new tax year. We had one die on New Year's Day-quite a loss! We called Paul to ask what he thought. He actually came right over and looked at the dead steer. All 3 of us put our heads together (we are all veterinarians) and agreed on the probable cause of death.

In the early 1990's ISU started a summer program for talented and gifted high school students. Paul and I worked together mentoring a student every summer for several years. Our students so enjoyed the program! They got hands on experience, interacted with our 4th year vet students, and got a great taste of veterinary medicine and what their futures might hold. I believe that our students had some of the most interesting experiences of the program.

I always enjoyed seeing Paul and visiting with him at the Story County Fair, before and after he retired. I know that he was active in the Happy-go-Luckies 4-H Club.

Paul was kind, encouraging, and helpful to many people. His was a life well lived.

Palmer Holden

September 4, 2020

Margot, I was extension swine specialist at ISU and got to spend time with Paul. He always treated me and others like we were the most important people aground. Condolences, Palmer Holden

Bob & Dinah Kerksieck

September 4, 2020

Paul has been one of our dearest friends for over 20 years, and will be missed so very much. Margo, their kids and grandkids are all wonderful too! No matter how he was doing physically Paul would always greet us with a huge beaming smile when he'd see us. Our paths crossed so many wonderful ways - spouses, birthday dinners, restaurant outings (before COVID-19), mushroom hunting, taking in and loving our dear cat named Stirfry, lamb, letting our son visit and of course, CyClone Womens' Basketball. We even found out recently that one of my favorite students at Loras College in Dubuque was one of Paul's (many) favorite students

Robert Means

September 3, 2020

Bob and Kathy Means want to send our sympathy to Margot and Paul's family. Bob first knew Paul when we were in the AGR house. Paul was a couple years older. He was two years ahead of Bob in Vet school and later he recommended Bob for a position in ambulatory at the ISU Vet school and we worked together from 1969 - 1972. Wish we had kept in better contact over the years. Bob and Kathy Means, Grand Lake, Colorado.

Edwin and Berna Moss

September 3, 2020

We first met Paul and Margot in 1970 at Iowa State Veterinary College. I was a new graduate and Paul was a professor in the Field Ambulatory Service. I was immediately impressed with the gentle, kind and professional nature of Doctor Paul Eness. He was truly the image of The Gentle Doctor who loved his animal patients, was idolized by his students and admired by his colleagues.
We became and have remained close friends with Paul, Margot and their Family for these past fifty years.

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