Charles A. Hassenfratz was born in Blue Rapids, Kansas to C.A. and Bertha Hassenfratz in June 1929. He grew up in Ponca City, OK where he graduated from high school in 1946. He then spent two years in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged. Charles attended Oklahoma University where he graduated with a BS in Geology. He was a member of Sigma Gamma Epsilon Honor Society and received an award as the Most Outstanding Senior.
After some graduate studies at OU, Charles accepted a job in Fort Worth with a small independent oil and gas exploration firm. It was here that he developed a lifelong love for the exploration of oil and gas, and met “his girl”, Josephine who worked in the same building. They were married in 1959. While in Fort Worth, Charles attended TCU Graduate School of Business.
In 1959, the newlyweds, Charley and Jo, moved to Amarillo with Kerr-McGee Corporation as a Senior Geologist, working the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas, western Kansas, Eastern Colorado and part of the Rocky Mountains. After a number of years, Mr. Hassenfratz became an independent geologist, discovering the N.W. ONA Morrow Oil Field in Texas Co, OK.
During the 1970s and 1980s, with El Paso Natural Gas Co as Regional Manager, Charles became one of the pioneers of the deep gas exploration in the Anadarko Basin of western OK. He directed the company's midcontinent exploration resulting in the discovery and development of the Elk City Deep Gas Field from reservoirs in the Morrow and Springer sandstones. This exploration program was crucial in the discovery and development of many of the deep gas fields in that part of the Anadarko Basin.
Into the 1990’s, Charley was an independent geologist and semi-retired to spend more time with his family and travel. His favorite travels were always the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. He and Jo enjoyed traveling to other Rocky Mountain States, Pacific Northwest, New England and some worldwide destinations.
Since 2005, Charles originated an oil play in Hartley County, TX which became the large S.E. Latham Field. He was a 60 years member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, longtime member of the Panhandle Geological Society, the Panhandle Association of Petroleum Landmen, the Oklahoma City Geological Society and St. Thomas Catholic Church.
Charles is survived by his wife, his two sons Steve and Gary Hassenfratz, his two daughters-in-law Traci Hassenfratz and Kathleen Hassenfratz and has 5 grandchildren: Brandon, Hannah Hayden, Reagan and Garren Hassenfratz.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Patricia McKnight.
A funeral service will be held at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow, 8520 Main Street, Frisco, Texas, on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., officiated by Father Tony Donovan. Interment follows at Ridgeview West Memorial Park, 7800 Sanctuary Drive, Frisco, Texas.