• Family: son Owen Neely, daughter Annie Neely (twin), son Miles Neely (twin), and son Ike Neely
• Hometown: Lockwood, Mo.
In Town: Angie Whitesell, M.D., has served the Lockwood and Dade County, Mo., area as a family physician at the Mercy Clinic in Lockwood for the past 13 years out of her 17-year career.
“I knew I wanted to live and work around here even before I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” Angie said. “I’m crazy-connected to the land and loved growing up on the farm.”
Whitesell’s journey to medicine began at the University of Missouri, when her academic advisor spoke to her about her interests and encouraged her to look into medicine, specifically practicing medicine in rural areas.
In the Country: Angie and her children – Owen, twins Annie and Miles, and youngest son Ike – live on a farm southeast of Lockwood near the Pennsboro community in rural Dade County, within the larger Whitesell family farm.
“We have a small registered Brangus herd – I get the benefits of being part of the farm run by my dad John and brother Adam while having my career in town,” said Angie. “The kids get to help out on the bigger operation and I view it as my therapy.”
The larger Whitesell family farm is a cow/calf operation spanning more than 3,000 acres with about 700 head of brood cows. There is also a crop operation, but mostly in the form of producing alfalfa hay to use as feed in the cattle operations.
“I’m fully aware that it’s fun for me, but a living for my dad and brother,” Angie said. “But I do feel like having the kids on the farm and growing up with chores and responsibilities is important.
Angie said she feels incredibly thankful that she is able to do a job she loves in a place she loves.
“I’m helping out neighbors and friends and folks I’ve know all my life,” she said. “I hope to help my kids to find their calling here, too.”
