[M] #16081 John Edward Kunkle ( Amos Kunkle • Mary Mechling • John Mechling • John Theobald "Dewalt" Mechling◊ • Diebold "Theobald" Mechling◊ • Diebold Mechling◊ • Martin Mechling◊ )
John was born 16 Aug 1862 in Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. He died 20 Dec 1929 in Olmsted Co., Minnesota.
At age 25 he was admitted to the bar and practiced in the Superior and Supreme Courts. He was a trustee of Franklin and Marshall College and a director and president of St. Paul's Orphan's Home.
John and Alice lost at least three of their children in 1905 when their house caught fire. The Indiana Democrat for 25 Apr 1905 had this to say:
EXPLOSION KILLS THREE
The explosion of a bottle of gasoline at the home of John E. Kunkle, in Maple Avenue, Greensburg, Pa. resulted in three children of the family being burned to death and a fourth so fearfully injured that her recovery is a matter of doubt....
The dead: Paul Kunkle, 7 years old; Alice Kunkle, 5 years old; Louise Kunkle, 3 years old.
The injured are: Catherine Kunkle, 2 years old;...
...
Mr. and Mrs. Kunkle, accompanied by two of their seven children, in the early evening attended holy week service in the First Reformed church, leaving their home in the charge of Mrs. Kunkle's mother, Cordelia Rugh, aged 75 years.
...
In bringing water to the child the grandmother tripped over a rug...overturned a bottle of gasoline. In an instant the fluid was aflame, being thrown to all portions of the room by the explosion which followed.
...
I'm somewhat uncertain about their mention of Catherine. They say the couple had seven children which, with Cordelia dying as an infant, would be: Sarah, Katherine, Margaret, John, Paul, Alice and Louise. However, Katherine would have been about 14 at the time, not two.
On 21 Dec 1929, The Pittsburgh Press reported:
John E. KunkelState Senator Succumbs at 67 in Rochester, Minn., Hospital
Special to The Pittsburgh Press
GREENSBURG, PA -- Word received here told of the death yesterday of State Senator John E KUNKLE, who represented the Westmoreland county legislative district in the General Assembly. He succumbed in the Mayo Hospital, Rochester, Minn.
Mr Kunkle, who was 67, had gone there six weeks ago for an operation. Besides his wife, he is survived by a son and two dtrs...John E Kunkle, Jr, Mrs James H Fiscus & Mrs Paul H George. He was serving his second term as state senator, having been a representative previously.
Prominent in all the activities of the assembly, he had fathered much legislation pertaining to the legal profession. Perhaps his outstanding contribution was fostering the bill which proclaimed Pennsylvania Day one for recognition in the state.
John married #16102 Alice Grant Walthour.
Relationship notes |
They married 17 Aug 1886 in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. |
Alice was born 8 May 1865 in Pennsylvania. She died 1955. She was buried in Union Cemetery, Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.
She is the daughter of Michael & Cordelia (Miller) Walthour.
Children of this relationship:
| #16103 | F | i | Cordelia Kunkle | (1888–1889) |
| #16104 | F | ii | Sarah Kunkle | (Feb 1890–1972) |
| #16106 | F | iii | Katharine Kunkle | (27 Sep 1891–24 Oct 1971) |
| #16107 | F | iv | Margaret Kunkle | (Sep 1893–1953) |
| #16109 | M | v | John Edward Kunkle | (13 Oct 1895–1982) |
| #16110 | M | vi | Paul Walthour Kunkle | (Jan 1898–1905) |
| #16111 | F | vii | Alice Walthour Kunkle | (Jan 1900–1905) |
| #16112 | F | viii | Louise Kunkle | (1901–1905) |
| #16113 | M | ix | Lucian Clawson Kunkle | (1906–Aug 1965) |
| #16116 | F | x | Mary Kunkle | (19 Apr 1908–4 Feb 1997) |
"Explosion Kills Three", The Indiana Democrat (25 Apr 1905).
Alice Grant Walthour Kunkle, cemetery notes, www.findagrave.com, #23956130.
John E. Kunkle, obituary, The Pittsburgh Press, Indiana, Pennsylvania, 21 Dec 1929.
John Edward Kunkle, cemetery notes, www.findagrave.com, #23956033.
Line Generation: 8
Relationship: Third Cousins Three Times Removed through John Theobald "Dewalt" Mechling◊