W.E.L. "Bill" Monigold was born September 21, 1926 at Crockett Street Home in Marshall to Leonard Jackson Monigold and Genievieve Langley. He attended Sam Houston Elementary and Marshall High School where he participated in track/field, pole vault and the Y.A. Tittle team until graduation year when he had to drive a bus because his father, a brick layer got hurt. Bill served his country in the United States Army from December 1944- December 1948 in Italy, Korea and the Philippines. On June 26, 1949, he married his sweetheart, Lenora Ann Caldwell at First Baptist Church. They were married for nearly 50 years.

He worked for over 60 years as a brick mason, including laying brick and concrete work on many buildings in Marshall and the East Texas area including First Baptist Church, ETBU, the original GSMC, First Christian Church as well as brick on the new University of Arkansas building in Fayetteville Arkansas. He lived in Marshall all of his life except for his two years of service and two years in Fayetteville.  Bill accepted Christ and was baptized at First Christian Church in Marshall and then later rededicated his life to Christ when he joined First Baptist Church in 1953. He was a member for over 60 years serving as a Sunday school class secretary, usher, bus driver and ministered to the Spanish congregation for several years, learning Spanish as an adult through self-taught methods.

He played softball well into his seventies, learning a few new skills on the soccer field. Bill wrote poems that turned into songs. At 75, he took these songs to Nashville where he recorded 5 CD's, some solos and duets with Anne Leslie. He sang on the Ryman Stage with Music City Christian Fellowship where he met Dottie Rambo, Brenda Lee and George Hamilton IV. Mr. Bill always drove a white truck and was acknowledged in the community for his fair business dealings and donation of knowledge and time. After his retirement, he cut and delivered wood until his late 70's with extensive knowledge of tree types. He was lovingly known as the "Wood Fairy". Bill was an avid outdoorsman for many years and loved hunting deer, small animals, duck and geese and fishing. He always used a cane pole to teach his grandchildren and friends to enjoy catfishing which led to writing his signature song, "Daddy's Still Fishin with a Cane Pole". Bill is well known for his great smile, jokes and laughter!

Surviving Bill are one son, Bill Monigold and wife Marilyn; one daughter, Anne Leslie Tijerina and husband George; grandchildren, Kelly and Kaci Gough, Sadie and Don Kersting, Pamela Monigold, Trey Monigold, Abigail Monigold, Norianne Monigold, Elizabeth (Tijerina) Ashcraft, Jonathan Tijerina and Libby McClure; great-grandchildren, Garrett Gough, Brent Gough, Evans Gough, Jordan Rayburn, Parker Kersting and Isabella Ashcraft. Also surviving are many special nieces and nephews.

Serving as pallbearers will be Trey Monigold, Jonathan Tijerina, George Tijerina, Ken Monigold, Ken Peterson, Tom Sedberry, Gary Reynolds, and Kelly Gough. Honorary pallbearers will be Don Warbritton and Deacons and many friends of First Baptist Church.

Memorials may be made to ETBU and Builders of Lives in loving memory of Bill and Lenora Monigold.