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Bruce Engnell and a WIU student at the bull barn, where the bulls are kept for the School of Ag's annual bull test.
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Services Set for Former WIU Farm Manager, Livestock Judging Coach Bruce Engnell

November 3, 2015

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MACOMB, IL -- Services for Bruce Engnell, retired Western Illinois University Farm manager and livestock judging coach, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6 at Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home in Macomb. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 at the funeral home. Engnell, 72, passed away Nov. 2 in Peoria.

Engnell was hired in 1967 to manage the swine evaluation station as part of Western's Agriculture Field Laboratory. He later became manager of the entire University Farm operation, including the oversight of Western's highly regarded Bull Evaluation Station and Bull Test Sale. Engnell also served as the longtime coach of the successful WIU Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Team. Under his direction, several students won national livestock judging contests, and the team often took top honors at regional, state and national contests.

Over Engnell's 44-year career at WIU, he had the opportunity to work with thousands of agriculture students and was a first-hand witness to the changes at the University Farm in the latter part of the 20th century and early part of the 21st century. He retired in 2011.

Engnell had served as an official swine judge at the National Swine Conference, as official swine judge at junior and open swine shows at state fairs across the nation, as the chair of the official swine judges at the National Barrow Show and as the official swine judge at the international swine competition in Brazil. He also served as an official swine, beef and sheep judge at numerous 4H and FFA exhibitions in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.

Engnell received his bachelor's degree at Iowa State University.

He is survived by his wife, Victoria, two sons, Tim and Ty, four grandchildren, and two brothers.

Memorials can made to the Bruce A. Engnell Ag Scholarship at Western, in care of the WIU Foundation, 301 Sherman Hall, Macomb, IL 61455-1390, or online at https://www.wiu.com/giving. Please designate donations as "Bruce A. Engnell Ag Scholarship."

The complete obituary can be found at www.dodsworthfh.com.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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