Dr. Bill Engvall: Beloved Physician Reflects On His Years In Winslow

By Sam Conner
   Dr. Bill Engvall has been gone from Winslow for approximately 40 years, but still has fond memories of his 10 years of medical practice in the community, and good relationships and memories of his patients, friends and co-workers during that time.
   He noted that he left Winslow with mixed emotions, but felt he needed to follow his dream of teaching medical students. He had an opportunity to do a residency in anesthesiology at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. After finishing his residency, he taught at Southwestern Medical School at Dallas before accepting an offer to teach at Texas A&M Medical School in Temple. He became a full professor at that school, and spent 20 wonderful years watching medical students become doctors. He said that he likes to believe that he had a small part in their becoming good doctors.
   Speaking of his family, he said that his son Bill had become a comedian against his father’s advice. He laughed at his ‘bad’ advice and noted that Bill has enjoyed a highly successful career as a comedian and is doing very well. Those who knew Dr. Engvall best at Winslow would tell you that the comedy talent did not fall far from the tree. Dr. Engvall almost never saw a patient without sharing a joke. He had a great sense of humor and a wonderful bedside manner.
   Bill Engvall, the son and comedian, is a Blue Collar comedian who works with the likes of Jeff Foxworthy, has appeared on such shows as Jay Leno and been a star on several television comedies. Dr. Engvall has appeared with him on several occasions. Many may recall his hit song of about a decade ago, “Here’s Your Sign.”
   Dr. Engvall’s oldest daughter, Janet, became a lawyer and was married to a comedian. Unfortunately, she died after being terribly burned in an outside cooking accident two years ago. She is missed terribly by the family. She left a daughter, Annie.
   The middle daughter is Judy, who is the administrative assistant to the Superintendent of Higher Education in Texas, and lives near her parents with a teen-age daughter MacKenzie.
   The Engvalls’ youngest daughter Jennifer also lives near them, and is the county health nurse. She lives with her husband, and a teenage son and daughter.
   Dr. Engvall has been happily married to his wife Mary for approximately 40 years and reminds readers that she was the former Mary Miller, a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School where he met her. She is remembered as a very good teacher by those who knew her at Winslow. Bill, the comedian, devoted a wonderful chapter to her in his book, “Just a Guy.” That chapter was aptly named “Marrying Miss Miller.” There and elsewhere, he describes some of her ideas that all show her to be a devoted and wonderful mother.
   Quite a few Winslow residents were remembered fondly by Dr. Engvall. Included in those was his good friend and former colleague the late Dr. George Bertino. He was a marvelous surgeon and a very good doctor. He also remembers talented nurses Jane Soehner and Nell Conner, as well as Helen Mileham. Former Winslow High School football coach Emil Nasser was one of the first people he asked about. A good portion of Winslow lost an excellent physician and a good friend when he moved to Texas to pursue a new career.
   Four years ago, Dr. Engvall retired and moved closer to his daughters and their families. He says that he still has many good memories of his days in Winslow and thinks often of the people he knew there. Conversations with almost anyone old enough to have known him and his family those four decades ago will show that the feeling is very much mutual.