Ed Hennig's Obituary
Eddie Lewis Hennig passed away at the age of 74 years, 2 months and 9 days on December 5, 2023 at the VA Hospital in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas. Funeral Service will be held at 1:30 p.m on Saturday, December 16, 2023 at the First Baptist Church in Wheeler, Texas, with Rev. Larry Mitchell officiating. Graveside service with military honors will follow at the Mobeetie Cemetery in Mobeetie, Texas.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Wheeler.
Ed, son of Andrew John Hennig and Naomi Ruth Benningfield, was born September 26, 1949 at the Worley Hospital in Pampa, Gray County, Texas. His parents preceded him in death.
Ed grew up in Pampa during his younger years later moving to Amarillo where he graduated from Palo Duro High School in 1969. After graduation he was drafted into the United States Army, he was sent to Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, California for Basic Training. He was deployed on August 1, 1970 to Vietnam where he served 1 year and 3 days returning on August 3, 1971. For his service he was awarded the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Sharpshooter Badge (M-16). He was Honorably discharged on October 21, 1971.
After returning from Vietnam he went to work at Cabot in Pampa, Texas as a welder and cowboyed part time. While living in Pampa he met his soul mate Jeannie Young in December of 1971. Their paths crossed again at a birthday party in February 1972 and they started dating shortly thereafter. Ed and Jeannie were married on February 22, 1974 in Panhandle, Texas.
In May of 1974 they moved to Wheeler County where he has lived for 50 years. He was a member of the Wheeler Volunteer Fire Department from 1975 to 1985. He was a member of the First Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon and a Sunday School Teacher. Ed was a Jack of All Trades, he worked for Frank and Bill Caswell farming, ranching, installing phone cable for Bell Telephone and working as a roustabout in the Oil Field for 36 years. He went on to work for Beef Cattle Company, Taylor Fuel and Truck Driving before going to work for Wheeler County Precinct 1. He retired from Wheeler County in 2011.
After retirement he purchased a motor home so he and Jeannie could travel. This is where he began his career as a demolition derby driver. The motor home suffered a lot but we all enjoyed his constant claims of it “not being his fault” and “I don't know what happened” always accompanied by his best innocent look. No matter how many holes he poked in the side of the motor home or how many pieces were missing when they made it home from a trip it was absolutely never his fault. He also enjoyed fishing and boating, of course these were, at times, eventful but also never his fault.
It is customary to call us survivors but we prefer to say we are left to celebrate his life. So his celebrators are his wife Jeannie Hennig; sons, Billy Hennig and wife Shawna of Kelton, Texas and Michael Hennig of Foss, Oklahoma; 8 grandchildren, Brianna, Brittane, Charmayne, Chantelle, Cheyenne, Brett, Ty and Stacey; 9 great grandchildren, Sophia, Staycha, Brayleigh, Brixton, Landyn, Whitlee, Dakota, Lane and Sterling; His brother Andy Hennig and wife Janie; his sister Linda Gafford and husband Larry; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the American Quarter Horse Association at www.aqha.com or to the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center, 6010 Amarillo Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79109.
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