Paula J. Feltner, J.D.

Paula J. Feltner died suddenly at home in Scottish Rite Park on April 3, 2026, at the age of 79. Paula was born on November 29, 1946, in Rock Springs, WY, the youngest of two sisters, to Joseph and Joanne Feltner. Her husband of 52 years, Michael K. Eberle, DVM, died before her in September, 2020. She is survived by her older sister Isobel Osius, her cousin Michael Marietta and his wife Beth, her cousin Curt Feltner, and the family she chose to cherish, Kevin and Lauren Patrick and their two children, Kennedy and Savannah. Throughout her life, Paula was steadfast in her love, loyalty and support for her family and friends, of whom there were many. She was gifted at finding both humor and sources of joy in her life and in her companions, and will be missed for the joy and love she brought to others.

Paula’s life began in Pinedale WY, where her parents homesteaded and her father worked as an engineer for the Forest Service, which meant that she spent much of her small-town childhood roaming the prairie on her horse, doing ranch chores like raising 100 chickens for a 4-H project, or camping with her family all over the national forest in which her father worked. She never met a horse or a dog that she didn’t love, so when the town celebrated the Green River Rendevous annually, she was always one of the Indians mingling with the fur traders in the tableaux. She also played the flute in both high school and college. She plunged into all of her activities with the enthusiasm and zest that characterized her throughout her life.

Paula attended the University of Wyoming from 1965 to 1969, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. It was at the university that she met the love of her life, Michael K. Eberle, DVM, who was recruited from Clinton IA to play both basketball and baseball. After graduation, Michael was drafted into the Army while Paula went on to graduate school at the University of Kentucky to study for a doctorate in Political Science. After completing her coursework, she was hired by Luther College in Iowa, where she began a five-year career as a Professor of Political Science. She excelled as a teacher and loved the work, but another opportunity interrupted her teaching career when the college “loaned her” two days a week to work with the legislative leadership of the Iowa House of Representatives to develop a caucus staff system to assist and support the legislators of both parties. She then accepted a job as director of the Republican caucus for the House of Representatives in 1979, moved to Des Moines and spent the next few years bringing her plan to life. Luther College was the setting for another milestone in her life when she married Michael Eberle in 1979, the beginning of a loving 52-year marriage.

In 1983, Paula began law school at Drake University as one of a handful of people selected for a new part-time program. She graduated from law school at Drake with honors in 1986 while also working part-time for the law firm of Beving, Swanson and Forest, and serving on the Law Review. She was admitted to the bar in 1987 and joined Beving, Swanson and Forest upon her graduation, becoming a partner shortly after, working as a lawyer and a lobbyist, the beginning of another career that she loved. In 1990, she and her longtime law partner, Michael Heller, left to found Feltner & Heller to provide legal and lobbying services and quickly built one of the premier lobbying practices in Iowa. Among her proudest accomplishments in that role were securing ongoing funding for Iowa Legal Aid in the state budgets and securing pensions for Iowa police personnel. She was inducted into the Iowa Pioneer Lawmakers in 2011, and resigned from her legal practice in 2020.

In 2008, Paula and Mike worked in the Obama campaign, which brought them an unexpected gift in the form of a young Rutgers graduate who came to Iowa to work for the campaign. Kevin Patrick lived with them throughout the campaign, continued living with them throughout his years attending Drake Law School and became the son they hadn’t had before. His wife and children became part of the family in turn and were a joy to Paula, particularly in the years after Mike’s death.

Over the years, Paula served her community in numerous endeavors, including service on the the Polk County Conservation Board, the Des Moines Art Center board, the Skatepark Advisory group, the Polk County Minimum Wage Task Force committee, the Des Moines Public Art Foundation board, the Issac Walton League Board of Directors in Panora , the Friends of the Jackson Street Bridge (which she founded and led with Carl Voss), the RAGBRAI public art project, the Civic Music Association board, the City of Des Moines Park board, the Downtown Community Alliance board, the West Des Moines Planning and Zoning board, the Polk County Mental Health board. She was a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, the Downtown Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the Des Moines Park Foundation, and Iowa Friends of Legal Services. As ever, she was dedicated and effective in all of those endeavors, and particularly enjoyed her service in the city and county park boards, to bring people into nature. She and her sister enjoyed cabin camping all over Iowa in recent years to explore the state and county parks she was dedicated to preserving for people’s enjoyment and use.

In 2024, Paula moved from the river in downtown Des Moines to Scottish Rite Park to join her sister and quickly became involved in her new home, serving on committees to deal with association bylaws, two entertainment committees, and the committee for the annual fundraiser. While she always grieved the loss of her husband, Scottish Rite Park became her new home and she was happily and productively engaged in her life there to the last day. Her life overall was a happy, loving and rich experience, and she will be loved and missed by many.

A memorial gathering will be held on April 19, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, at Hamilton’s Westown Parkway location, 3601 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines. A later private celebration of life will be held at Scottish Rite Park for her new friends and community here.

If you wish to commemorate Paula, donations may be sent to the (Polk County Conservation - have a call into Rich Leopold for a specific group), Des Moines Friends of the Parks, the Animal Rescue League, the Civic Music Association, or the the Public Art Foundation.

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