In Search of ... J C Henneberger "John William Henneberger"

Was this a missed opportunity for historians?

He was so small and young when Houdini passed on (in 1926), but he may have recalled stories of exploits between his father, Houdini, Lovecraft, or any number of close friends in that weird tales community. It appears that JCH held onto a portion of his Pennsylvania heritage for many years.

Below, only months ago is recorded the passing of John William Henneberger, age 86.

_____

May 30, 1924 - June 24, 2010

John William Henneberger, 86, died June 24 in Corvallis.

John was born in Chicago, Ill., to Jacob Clark Henneberger and Alma Katherine Schneidewind. He grew up on the Depression-era streets of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, N.Y., and spent summers on the family farm in Pennsylvania. After earning degrees in forestry from the University of New Hampshire and Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College, he went on to a 30-year career with the National Park Service.

He married Barbara Bodine in 1952 in Yosemite National Park, Calif. For the next two decades, they and their three children moved around the West while John worked in various national parks and administrative centers. John coordinated wilderness studies for the U.S. National Park Service under the Wilderness Act of 1964, and he was later manager of the Denver Service Center.

His last position was as superintendent of the newly created Chattahoochee National Recreation Area in Atlanta, Ga., where he lived with his second wife, Barbara Griffin. In 1987, he returned to the West, spending his retirement years in Corvallis.

Throughout his life, John had a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world, and he shared that love with his family and many others. He had an intellectual interest in man's relation to nature and parks, and he was an avid mountaineer.

He is survived by his sister, June Henneberger of New York; daughters Diane Henneberger of Corvallis and Sally H. Mervin of Calistoga, Calif.; son Roger Henneberger of El Cerrito, Calif.; grandchildren John, Grace, Violet and Lewis; and longtime companion Moll Brett of Corvallis.

No service is planned. Memorial contributions can be made to SafeHaven Humane Society, Albany.