Dr. Perry Engstrom

Retired surgeon Dr. Perry H. Engstrom Jr. M.D., born January 14, 1924, passed away at his home in Wahpeton Thursday evening surrounded by his family. We shall miss him dearly.

The still-growing Engstrom family moved to Wahpeton in 1956 from Pennsylvania when Dr. Engstrom, after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, joined the Red River Valley Clinic and the staff of St. Francis Hospital.

During his 60-plus years as a general practitioner and surgeon he taught anatomy and battlefield surgery to military doctors; traveled to Vietnam, Africa, and Haiti numerous times on volunteer medical missions; served as the Richland County coroner for many years, helped develop the state's emergency medicine program, taught anatomy and physiology for the State School of Science, performed surgery in other area hospitals and was chief of staff of the Wheaton Hospital.

Outside of medicine, he was a member of the United Church of Christ, twice was appointed delegate to the North Dakota Constitutional Convention, and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and tornado/hurricane relief and rebuilding programs. Perry was involved in many civic organizations and was politically active.

Dr. Engstrom's survivors include his wife Karen and their children; Perry III and his daughter Catherine, Dave, Bob; Pat and her children Rachael, Joe, Zach and Seth; Pam, her husband Mike and their sons William and David; Mary Anne, her husband Kim and their children Brennan, Casey, Nathan and Kellie; Eric and his partner Rich; Ronda, her husband Paul and their sons Alex and Andrew; Rick, his wife Kathy and their sons Elliot and Evan; Paul, his wife Wanda and their children Marylea, Stephanie and Luke; 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His first wife, Mary Lee, died in 1974.

Memorials may be given to the charity of your choice in memory of Perry.