C. Wendel Schoenberger

Livestream Service: https://livestream.com/npw/events/10516538

Wendel Schoenberger, 79, of Midland, passed away on June 12, 2022, after a lengthy battle with cancer.  A Memorial Service will be at Nalley Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Chapel located at 3800 N. Big Spring St., Midland, Texas on Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Wendel’s ashes will be interred in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas after a brief service with military honors on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at 10:30 a.m.

Wendel was born on October 17, 1942, to Pauline and Hollis Schoenberger in Dallas, TX.  He graduated from Seagoville High School in 1962.  When he was younger, he wanted to design farm equipment.

He was drafted into the United States Marine Corps in 1966 as a Weatherman, but to gain monthly flight pay he also volunteered and crewed on a CH-46 Helicopter in Vietnam.  He was involved in the resupply, reinforcement, and relief of the Siege of Khe Sanh in 1968.  Wendel’s CH-46 Helicopter carrying a load of South Korean Marines went down and the entire flight crew was incapacitated including Wendel. Whose resulting back injury plagued him to his death and caused his Disabled Vet status.  He and the crew were saved from the surrounding North Vietnamese by the South Korean Marines who surrounded the wrecked helicopter and fought off the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army until help arrived.  “Tough little SOBs” was Wendel’s quote of the South Koreans.  He was awarded the following medals: Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and .Vietnam Campaign Medal.  He was Honorably Discharged in 1970.

In 1970 he began working for Forney Engineering Company for a man named Larry Douglas. He left the Forney Engineering Company in 1980.  In 1985 he moved to West Texas and started his own company called Schoenberger Exploration as a Landman in the oilfield.

Wendel had a critical role in recognizing, defining, funding, drilling and development of the North Concho Bluff (Queen) Discovery in the Jennifer Leases (which became the Jennifer Unit) … located in the Midland Basin at the convergence of Ector, Midland, Crane and Upton Counties. He recognized that a Bass Oil drill stem test was recovering drilling fluid and not formation fluid, and therefore a potentially productive Oil Saturated Queen Sand and not a water wet Sand existed in the well bore.  After evaluating the shows and logs Wendel negotiated with Bass Oil to obtain the leases. Wendel then brought in Rendova Oil Company’s Herschel O’Kelly, who then operated the re-entry and completion of the initial well, and drilled numerous subsequent wells. The Unit ended up containing the parts of four sections and ended up with over 60 successful producers and made over 5,000,000 barrels of oil.

Throughout his career, Wendel was a mentor and tutor to young landmen and explorationists in the oil industry. He was known for his tough and stubborn negotiating skills. Among many in the industry, he had the nick name “Mr. Agreement”. He always lived up to his promises and he expected everyone else to do the same. He retired in 2015 but stayed active in the oil business until early June 2022.

In October 2018 he was flown to Washington, DC as part of the Honor flight program.  He was sponsored by the Lubbock and Amarillo VA Administrators.  During that event, he met Senator Bob Dole and was swarmed by appreciative South Korean tourists at the Korean War Memorial.  He also found his best friend among the Marines’ names on the Vietnam Memorial.  This was the first time he realized his friend was killed in action and not missing in action.

Wendel absolutely cherished and loved his two grandchildren and was extremely proud of his son Angus. He enjoyed art and bronze statues. He loved to go fishing, hunting, and raised cows and dogs. He was a very intelligent, genuine, honest, loving, charismatic man. He was proud of his service to his country and often participated in charitable events for our troops including Hunt for Heroes, Freedom Isn’t Free and other charities such as the Make a Wish Foundation.

Wendel is survived by son Angus Schoenberger, grandson Emil Schoenberger, granddaughter Leah Schoenberger, brother Ronald Paul Schoenberger, three cousins Lola Lynn Owens, Bob Owens and Ronnie Tackett, and his beloved and loyal Visla named Ana (his dog).  He was preceded in death by father Hollis Schoenberger, mother Pauline Francis Schoenberger and uncle Charles D Chumley.

Honorary Pallbearers are Earl Sebring, Jack Bradley, Wendel Creech, Jaime McCarter, Dennis Rose, and Rudi Woerndle.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to High Sky Children’s Ranch. Make a Wish Foundation, your favorite veteran’s organization or the American Cancer Society.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com.

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