ANOTHER WINNSBORO FAREWELL

by
Maryann Miller

Winnsboro lost Dr. Brent Wadle, D.O., although he is not really lost. He just moved to Tyler to take a position in a larger Trinity Mother Francis Clinic there. His last day in Winnsboro was July 25th, and he will be joining the Trinity Clinic Primary Care on Douglas Street with 20 other doctors. "People call it the Douglas Clinic," he said. "And it is set up in a pod arrangement with two or three doctors in each pod. I will be working closely with Dr. Ray Wilson."

Some people would consider the way the move came about as serendipitous, but Dr. Wadle see the hand of God in every facet of it. Trinity Mother Francis hospital administrators had talked to Dr. Wadle about the possibility of moving to that larger clinic off and on for about a year. However, he was reluctant to leave Winnsboro and uproot his children from the schools here. Then the children, Jacob 14 and Caleb 12, were accepted into Grace Community School in Tyler. "That is a tough school to get into," Dr. Wadle said. "And their acceptance seemed a clear message that this was what we were supposed to do."

In talking about the school, Dr. Wadle was quick to point out that he was not pulling the boys from Winnsboro because he thinks there is something wrong with the schools here. He had high praise for the teachers and the staff and the school board, where he has served for five years. "We have a lot of really dedicated people in the school system," he said. "And I have the utmost respect for them. We have been blessed with Godly teachers. The major reason we are excited about the opportunity for the boys to attend Grace is because they focus on helping parents disciple their children. They offer a strong Christian environment that is important to us."

Indeed, religion is very important to the Wadle family. They belong to First Baptist Church in Winnsboro, where Dr. Wadle's wife, Gigi, has been the Children's Coordinator and Director of Vacation Bible School for 10 years. Dr. Wadle didn't have the time to volunteer a lot at the church, but has taken mission trips with members. He has also coached baseball, football, and basketball for recreational teams.

Brent Wadle grew up in DeSoto, a suburb of Dallas, and so did his wife. In fact, both sets of parents still live there. He went to college at Texas Tech and medical school at the University of North Texas at Fort Worth, where he met Dr. Bart Pruitt. They did their residency at St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma, and both decided they wanted to practice family medicine in a small town. Jerry Hopper, who was on the board of Winnsboro Hospital, recruited the pair and they came here 12 years ago. The two doctors remain good friends, as well as neighbors. They live two doors from each other and their lives are intertwined a lot.

Even though the family is going with open minds and open hearts to whatever is ahead for them on this life journey, Dr. Wadle admitted to leaving with some sadness. "We really love this town and the people here," he said. "There is something special about small town living that is lost in the big cities, and I could see myself coming back to practice here again.

"And it's not like we are moving to the other side of the world," he continued. "We are only an hour away. And I know that fact has helped the boys adjust to the idea of moving. They will still see the friends they have here, as well as make some new friends in Tyler."

Even though the new clinic is larger than the one here in Winnsboro, Dr. Wadle will continue to be a family practitioner. "I love family medicine," he said. "When you are in that kind of practice you take care of everyone from Grandma to the new baby, and you really form close relationships with them."

Because he is known as a kind, compassionate and attentive doctor, some of his Winnsboro patients will probably travel the extra miles to see him in Tyler. It would be well worth the trip.