Gene Francis Ebner

Gene was born on July 25, 1935, at his grandmother's home in Arcadia, Iowa. Gene's parents were Joseph and Sally (Terlisner) Ebner. Gene graduated from Denison (Iowa) High School in 1953 and worked for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in Chicago until he volunteered for the draft into the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. Gene returned to work on the railroad after his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1955.

In 1957, he enrolled at Iowa State Teachers College, where he earned a B.A. in physics and education in 1961. Gene's graduate studies included work at Texas A&M University, and an M.A. in geology and education from Indiana University in 1967. He continued his postgraduate work at Northwestern University, University of Oklahoma, University of South Dakota and University of Iowa.

Gene and Martie (Rose) Ebner were married July 29, 1976. Gene taught physics and earth sciences at Le Mars Community Schools, Iowa City Community Schools, Westmar College and Sioux City Community Schools.

He was active in teacher and educational organizations and was president of Plymouth County Education Association and the Sioux City Education Association. Gene was involved with Indian education programs and The MidAmerican Consortium for Science and Engineering Achievement, which motivated minority students to look at careers in science and engineering. Gene was a member of the 185th Tactical Fighter Group and was president of the Siouxland Council on Alcoholism.

Gene's family includes his wife, Martie; three children, Deb Kelley and husband, Dan, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Patrick Ebner and wife, Estela, of Sioux City, and Michelle Purdy and husband, Mark, of Estes Park, Colo.; and Martie's four children, Bob Cole and partner, Laurie Vinkavich, of Portland, Ore., Betsy Davidhizar and husband, Mark, of Allegan, Mich., Steve Cole and wife, Denise, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Dan Cole and wife, Crystal, of Andover, Kan. Martie and Gene have numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Gene is survived by siblings and spouses, Jon and Cindy Ebner of Dakota Dunes, S.D., Kathy and Rick Shadle of Omaha, Linda and Ken Scheck of Kiron, Iowa, Robert and Colleen Ebner of Sloan, Iowa, and Harold and Pat Ebner of Sioux City. He had a brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Jean Rose of Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Sally (Terlisner) Ebner; Martie's parents, Earl and Fleta (Woods) Rose; brother, Charles Ebner; aunt, Ann (Terlisner) Neu; uncle, Louie Terlisner; and his father's cousin, Celia Murphy.

Memorials may be made in Gene's name to the Sanford Center in Sioux City.