Chris Shamrock Hennig (right) with husband Charlie (left), son Brian (center) & family friends

 Catching up with . . .

Christina Shamrock Hennig

Christina Shamrock Hennig, Class of 1967, lives in Abilene, Texas after working and living in Fairmont and Clarksburg. She is married with a son, Brian, and a husband, Charlie Hennig, a retired college professor.

Chris is the youngest of seven siblings. The others are John, Class of 1947; Joe, who attended Monongah High; Cecilia (Cil) Shamrock Eller, Class of 1955; Jim, who attended Monongah High; Paul, Class of 1962; and Mike, Class of 1966.

 John, Joe and Cecilia are deceased, Cil in 2003.

At my request, Chris provided an update on her life since Monongah High.

Her response:

“Hi, John

“Nice to hear from you.

“Oh, my gosh, where do I start?

“After graduating from MHS, I graduated from Fairmont Business College. Got a job a few weeks later working for some very old attorneys.  It was only part-time for a couple of months. 

“Then I went to work at Household Finance Corp.  Worked there for almost 19 years.  They closed all the offices in West Virginia. 

“During that time, I married my wonderful husband, Charles (Charlie) Hennig, and I moved to Clarksburg. That was halfway for each of us to go to work.  He was a professor of psychology at Salem University. 

“I then went to work for Bridgeport Bank for about 5 years.  Hubby was looking for another job and found one at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. So here we are.

“I also got a job at First Financial Bank in Abilene.  Worked there for 5 years until my mother-in-law became sick with cancer.  We decided I would quit my job and take care of her. She only stayed with us for 1 more year. 

“So I took a few more years off and tried to find another job.  I did at Apex Design, Research & Consulting. Well, that only lasted 7 months.  My boss took another job in California, so he closed up and moved. 

Chris in Abilene home

“During all that time, we had one son, Brian.  He is a teacher in the Dallas District and working on his Doctorate Degree.  He has about a year to go.

“I am the youngest of seven children: John, Joe, Cecilia (Cil), Jim, Paul, Mike and myself.  We lived next to the 63 Mines.  My Mom passed in 1990 and Dad in 1996. 

“We all went to Monongah High.  John, Joe and Cil have since passed also. Jim, Paul and Mike all live in Cortland, Ohio and are retired.

“My husband has since retired and we have gone on a number of vacations around the U.S. and overseas.

“Best Wishes,

“Chris Hennig”

McMurry is a Methodist university founded in 1923.

Cortland is near Warren and Youngstown, and about 45 miles from where Paula and I live in the Akron suburb of Tallmadge.

Chris & neighbor's pet

John Shamrock was sports editor of the 1947 Monongah High Black Diamond Yearbook, in the MHS Band and in the senior class play. 

If you have memories of Chris Shamrock Henning or want to contact her and re-hash your Monongah High days together, her email address is cwhmcsh@att.net She also has a Facebook page.

My sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, who lives in Rivesville, remembers Cecelia quite well, as she should. They were in the same class for 12 years – at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Monongah and at Monongah High.

The Shamrocks used to come to the Olesky house on Church Street to pay their PNA insurance dues, which my father, John W. Olesky, Sr., handled in the 1940s and 1950s.

If you have memories of the Shamrock family, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll add them to this Monongah High Alumni blog.