The Hennessey High School graduating Class of 2023 selected John R. “Bert” Gritz and Valerie Shamburg for the HHS Hall of Fame.

The two will be recognized during graduation exercises at 7 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the Hennessey Event Center.

Bert Gritz

Gritz is a lifelong Hennessey resident and a 1975 Hennessey High School graduate.

He was mayor of the town until he stepped down last month, but continues as a member of the town board.

He was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 1979 and was appointed mayor in 1981, the youngest mayor in Oklahoma’s history.

Gritz served on the town board until 1983, then ran and was re-elected in 2003 and has served on that board since then.

He is the town’s fire chief and has served on the Hennessey Volunteer Fire Department since 1978, was a Nationally Registered EMT Advanced for 20 years and the EMS administrator for most of those years.

Gritz earned a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science from the University of Cen-tral Oklahoma in 1999 and a master’s degree in counseling from Oklahoma City University in 2018.

He purchased the Cordry- Sisson Funeral Home in 1998 and has owned and operated the Cordry-Gritz Funeral Home since then.

He owned Bert’s Kwik Shop in Waukomis, 198697, and was a partner with his father in the R.L. Gritz Insurance Agency in Hennessey from 1986-97.

Gritz is a member of First Christian Church, Hennessey Lions Club and the Hennessey United Board of Directors and was most recently honored by United for his service to the community and that board.

His hobby is working and restoring antique and classic cars.

Gritz married HHS science teacher, Kim Gritz, in 2021. He has three children; two stepsons and seven grandchildren.

Valerie Shamburg

Valerie Shamburg moved to Hennessey in 1974 and graduated from Hennessey High School in 1979 as an honors student.

During high school, she was a member of the basketball team, chorus, Future Teachers of America, National Honor Society, newspaper and Spanish Club.

After high school, she attended Phillips University in Enid where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry.

After she completed her teacher requirements, she taught in Shidler for two years and Dover for 25 years.

The last 10 years of her career were spent teaching science at Hennessey before retiring due to illness.

While in Dover (19862012), Shamburg was teacher of the year several times.

She worked with Kingfi sher Regional Hospital to start health career clusters and an internship program for students interested in various fields of science as a career.

She hosted many science fairs and had one student who made it all the way to nationals with their project.

While in Hennessey she was a Student Council sponsor for many years, a junior class sponsor and a prom chaperone several times.

Most recently, she was also the online education teacher for grades 5-12 for science students who learned remotely during the first year of the COVID pandemic.

The nominator wrote that although Shamburg has no biological children, she has shared many children in her 37 years of teaching and influencing many students.

Several of her students have pursued successful careers in science, including a research scientist in Antarctica, an astrophysicist for NASA, chemical and nuclear engineers and many medical professionals and science teachers.

She was always ready to lend a hand, said former students and teachers.

She has been known to help any student who is needing extra help and has also tutored young people taking college classes.