Anna Beth Connell M.D.

Anna Beth Connell, M.D., of Lufkin, was born August 12, 1921 in Athens, Texas, the daughter of the late Berta (St. John) and G. B. Connell. She passed away Thursday, April 28, 2016, at Pinecrest Retirement Community.

Anna Beth’s family moved to Ennis, Texas, where at the tender age of five, she decided to become a doctor. They relocated to Lufkin in 1934 where she graduated from Lufkin High School in 1939 with honors. This up-and-coming medically inclined young lady enrolled in Mary Hardin-Baylor College in Belton, Texas, where she earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biology. She was recruited by the Chief Chemist of Pure Oil Company to join its staff in Nederland, Texas, where she worked as a chemist from 1943 to 1945. Although she had been accepted to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, she felt compelled to work and save money for medical school. Upon entering Baylor University College of Medicine in Houston, she earned her M.D. degree. While at Baylor, she worked part-time at M. D. Anderson Cancer Hospital. After graduation from Baylor in 1949 with a subsequent internship at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, Anna Beth then served three years residency in a United States Navy Family Hospital at Coronado, California. At the end of her naval career in 1953, she entered her first practice in Los Angeles, California and from there she migrated back to Texas. Practicing in Corrigan, Texas, it was only a step away from her home town and here she hung out her shingle in 1955 to serve her lifetime as a well-respected physician. For over a quarter of a century, she contributed immeasurably to the health and well-being of countless thousands of her fellow East Texans with her professional care, which was administered with warm, gentle, and compassionate humanitarianism. She was a comforting inspiration to her patients and the members of their families.

Dr. Connell was the first and only female physician in Lufkin for over a quarter of a century and has been recognized in many circles for her contributions. Just to name a few, 1962 shows her to be the first woman Director of the Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, in 1975 she was named the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year and from 1976 to 1978 she served on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; she was appointed Chief of Staff of Memorial Hospital in 1966; she also served as the Vice Chief of Staff, and later Chief of Staff, at Woodland Heights General Hospital; in 1978 she was appointed to the Board of Directors of Home Savings and Loan Association; she was a member of AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians) from 1978 to 1992, which is a national association of family doctors; in 1961 she served as the first female President of Angelina County Medical Society, was associated with the Texas Medical Association, the Southern Medical Association as well as the American Medical Women’s Association and the American Medical Association; in 1982 she was published in the Centennial Album of the Angelina County Medical Society entitled “The Physicians: 100 Years of Dedication”; she was active with the Angelina County Tuberculosis Association, a member of the Lufkin Pilot Club, where she received the “Pilot of the Year Award” in 1982, and she was recognized as one of the “Movers and Shakers” by the Lufkin Daily News in 1985; she received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Angelina Rotary Club. On January 1, 1986, Dr. Connell closed her private practice and joined the medical staff of the Lufkin State School and, once again, she was recognized for her fine service and dedication to details. As Medical Director of the Lufkin State School Laboratory, they successfully completed the College of American Pathologist Inspection with no Phase I or II deficiencies, which is noted as being exemplary in the field. As of 1992, Dr. A. B. Connell retired from practice and chose to make PineCrest Retirement Center her home. She has remained a long-time member of Lufkin’s First Baptist Church and Amity-Joy Sunday School Class as well as an active member of the Lufkin community. Still, recognition has gone her way and in 1998 she was honored with an endowed scholarship in her name that will boost students on the way to a career in Medicine. The Health Career Scholarship was established at Stephen F. Austin University by former patients, friends and medical colleagues. In November 1993, she was recognized as one of the first female doctors in the Navy. She also received the Distinguished Alumni’s Award from Lufkin ISD – she graduated second in her Class of 1939. Once again in 2010, she was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Angelina County Chamber of Commerce. And this really just touches on her achievements. The thing that she would probably hold as the highest honor would be the large number of babies (noted to be over 1,000) that she was privileged to bring into this world and the large number of women and girls she was able to mentor and care for throughout the years. It was noted also that many times, she was the doctor of record for three generations of women in a family. Dr. Connell has always demonstrated a pleasant, cordial and helpful attitude toward her fellow practitioners, nurses and technicians as well. She earned the respect, esteem and admiration of all whose lives she touched and they share an unending gratitude for all she has meant to them, both professionally and personally.

As an individual, Dr. Connell has enjoyed extensive traveling.

But in the end, it all comes back to her family. Aunt Doc has for some time represented the last of her family’s fifth generation. December of each year has served as the time of reunion for this family and she has attended each one. Survivors include her niece, Mary Ann Hamilton and husband Bill of Ovilla; nephews, Jim Connell and wife Sally of Gainesville and Pat Connell and wife Sandra of Coppell; great-nephews, William Hamilton and wife Kathleen of Ovilla and Wayne Hamilton and wife Kara of Austin; great-niece, Becky Heermans Voysey and husband Craig of Madison, Wisconsin; great-nephews, Kevin Connell of Fayetteville, Arkansas; great-nieces, Kim Dubois and husband Shaun Fayetteville, Arkansas, Teresa Novak and husband Jim of Coppell, and Christina Hedding and husband Matt of Flower Mound; and great-nephews, Doug Connell and wife Jessica of Woodlands, Washington, Cameron Connell of DeSoto, and Michael Connell and wife Jennifer of Ft. Worth; as well as twenty-two great-great-nieces and nephews – three located in Wisconsin, one in Arkansas, ten in Texas, seven in Washington, and one in Florida; and 15 great-great-great nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Anna Beth was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Hazel Heermans and her husband Ray; brother, Douglas Connell and his wife Aileen; nephews, Mike Connell and Bob Heermans and his wife Ila; and great-great nephew Nicholas Askew.

Dr. Connell’s nephews will serve as pallbearers.

Expressions of sympathy in Dr. Connell’s memory may be made to Mary Hardin-Baylor University, UMHB Box 8433, 900 College Street, Belton, Texas 76513; Anna Beth Connell, M.D. Scholarship Fund, c/o SFA Alumni Association, P. O. Box 6096, SFA Station, Nacogdoches, Texas 75962; Lufkin’s First Baptist Church, 106 East Bremond, Lufkin, Texas 75901; or to a charity of your choice.

A service for Anna Beth will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, April 30, 2016 in the Gipson Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverend Mark Newton officiating. The family will receive visitors from 11:00 am. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday in the PineCrest Retirement Community Chapel, with a reception following in the PineCrest Auditorium. A private burial in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park will be held prior to the service.

Condolences may be offered at www.gipsonfuneralhome.com

Services have been placed in the trust of Gipson Funeral Home.