Jacob Kinnel
Jacob Kinnel, one of Delaware Township's highly esteemed citizens. who, after a long and useful period of activity is now living retired, is the owner of a fine farm of 48 acres. Mr. Kinnel was born June 4, 1838, in Heine, Germany, and is a son of Jacob and Caroline (Christman) Kinnel.
Jacob Kinnel, the grandfather of Jacob, was a native of Germany, and came to America in 1835, bringing with him his entire family, with the exception of his son, Jacob, who remained in Germany. The grandfather settled in Columbus, Ohio, where he followed his trade all of his life. Jacob Kinnel, father of Jacob, was a shoemaker of Berne, Germany, where he died in 1850, at the age of 42 years. He married Caroline Christman. who was a daughter of Daniel Christman.
Jacob Kinnel received a common school education in his native country and then learned the trade of shoemaker, which he followed until attaining his majority. He then entered the German army, in which he served six years. At the expiration of his term of service, he came to America, and from 1865 to 1868 worked at his trade in New York City, coming in the latter year to Columbus, Ohio, where he continued at shoemaking until 1874. He then removed to Washington Township, Franklin County, where he cultivated a rented farm for nine years, subsequently removing to Delaware County. Here he operated a rented farm until 1894, and in this year he purchased his present farm then a tract of but nine acres. To this he added from time to time, raising all kinds of garden truck, and he attributes his success to carefully watching the market and giving special attention to the public demand. He also raised corn, oats and hay, and kept about 150 chickens. In politics Mr. Kinnel is a Republican, and while in Columbus he was connected fraternally with the order of Red Men.
Mr. Kinnel was married (first) to Katherine Westerville, of Columbus, Ohio, who died in 1874, in the faith of the German Lutheran Church, and to them one child was born—Jacob, who resides at Larimer, Pennsylvania. In 1875 Mr. Kinnel was married (secondly) to Mrs. Magdalena Frye, widow of David Frye and daughter of Conrad Gast, of Columbus, a stone cutter by trade. Mrs. Kinnel was born November 17, 1836, in Hessen-Cassel. Germany, and came to America in 1866, two years after her first husband, David Frye, who was born in Unternausbach, Germany, and who died in 1872, aged 45 years. By her first marriage Mrs. Kinnel had four children: Annie, who is the wife of A. J. Topping of Delaware; Clara, the wife of Thomas Davis of Radnor Township; one who died in infancy; and John, who is at home, and with his halfbrother is engaged in the trucking business on the home farm, which he conducts in the same intelligent and successful way that his father did. To Mr. and Mrs. Kinnel two children have been born, namely: Edward, who married Elizabeth Knowlton, has two children—William and Marie; and Caroline, who is the wife of Marion Pendelton of Delaware. The family are members of the English Lutheran Church.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908