A special thank you to all those who have participated in our “I Remember Rippey” series. Your remembrances have allowed readers to share in our town’s history, activities, sports, school, church, and daily life covering 150 years.
We will continue posting online here, using “I Remember Rippey” remembrances received, though those received after April, 2020 will not be in the printed history book. If you would like to read more Rippey history, you may also click on the History tab of the Rippey Library website: https://www.rippey.lib.ia.us
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I saw a photo of Eric posing as a Santa Claus just before Christmas, and asked him to share a bit about his life” -Mary Weaver
Eric Gonder
Eric Gonder recently retired as senior veterinarian with Butterball LLC, one of the largest turkey companies in the world, producing around 40 million turkeys each year.
He is the youngest son of Lillian and Ronald Gonder who raised turkeys for many years just south of Rippey.
He graduated from East Greene Community high school in 1968, then went on to eventually graduate from Iowa State University as a veterinarian in 1974. He then moved to St. Paul, MN to pursue an MS in avian microbiology concentrating on turkey diseases and graduated in 1976.
After a 2 year tour as an US Army captain at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Ft. Detrick, Frederick MD he moved to Madison WI in 1978 to work for American Scientific Laboratories (ASL) traveling throughout North America working with turkey producers and remained active in the Army Reserve, eventually honorably discharged as major.
In 1983 he moved to Raleigh NC to work at the veterinary school in North Carolina State University on a PhD in poultry pathology with a minor in poultry science. After finishing his PhD research he moved to Goldsboro NC in 1986 to work as veterinarian for Goldsboro Milling Company – a large vertically integrated turkey producer. He married soulmate Elisa Tilly in 1987, who encouraged him to finish the writing for the PhD in 1991 while she started raising draft horses and beef cattle on their small farm for the next 25 years.
Goldsboro Milling Company eventually acquired Butterball from ConAgra and Eric became a Butterball employee responsible for turkey health programs for Butterball turkey breeders, hatcheries, farms and processing plants. After a combined 34 years in the same office, he and Elisa retired to Juneau WI to be near family and the familiarity of the Upper Midwest.
He has been active in the National Turkey Federation, National Poultry Improvement Plan, American Veterinary Medicine Association, American Association of Avian Pathologists, Association of Veterinarians in Turkey Production, US Animal Health Association, the Professional Animal Auditors Certification Organization, Poultry Science Association and remains active with them in retirement.
He enjoys any individual outdoor activity, building things, cooking, piano, and playing Santa near Christmastime. (The beard started with the Rippey centennial 50-odd years ago and never went away very long).
