Christian S. and Annie Bender

Title: Christian S. Bender and Annie (Kennel) Bender family fonds

Dates of creation: 1831-2002

Physical description: 5 cm of textual records, 36 photographs, 2 objects

Biographical sketch: John (or Jean) Kennel and his brother Joseph came to Canada in the mid 19th century from Lorraine. John settled in East Zorra, Oxford County and married Barbara (Risser). Their daughter Annie (Anna) Kennel married Christian S. Bender. Christian is the grandson of Jacob Bender, who came to Canada in 1832 from Germany via Pennsylvania, settling in Wilmot Township. The Kennels and Benders were both Amish Mennonite families.

Joseph Kennel returned to Lorraine, where he served in the Franco-Prussian War. After the war, in 1872, he elected to remain a French citizen when parts of Lorraine became German territory. In 1891 he returned to Canada with his wife Barbara Stalter. They lived in Cassel, East Zorra the rest of their lives.

Custodial history: Largely donated to the Archives in 2014 by Bob Bender; some items were transferred from the Lorraine Roth collection as indicated in the file list.

Scope and content: This fonds, collected by the family at various times, contains information about the ancestors and descendants of Christian S. Bender and Annie (Kennel) Bender. It includes photographs of the Bender and Kennel families and miscellaneous family textual records. It also includes genealogical research, school records, and a bayonet brought to Canada by Joseph Kennel.

Notes: See also Lloyd L. Bender family fonds, Hist.Mss.2.88.
Archival description created in 2018 by Laureen Harder-Gissing

File list:

Series 1: Textual records

1. Kennel family research by Lorraine Roth and Orie Bender
   Note: See also the Lorraine Roth fonds, Hist.Mss.1.117.1/ff.80-88. Orie Bender is the grandson of Christian S. Bender and Annie (Kennel).
2. Family history books
   Bender, Leona, and Bender, Lloyd. Memories of Bygone Days. Ontario: L. Bender], 1983; Bender, Orie L. Orie's Stories. Kitchener, Ont.]: O.L. Bender, 1992
   Note: Copies are also located in the Milton Good Library. Leona Bender is the granddaughter of Christian S. Bender and Annie (Kennel).
3. Christian K. Bender's school leaving certificate, 1902
   Note: Christian K. Bender is the son of Christian S. Bender and Annie (Kennel)
4. Marriage certificate of Christian K. Bender and Katie S. (Bender), 7 Sept 1913
5. Funeral cards
   John Kennel, Barbara (Risser) Kennel, Katie Bender, Christian K. Bender
6. Leona (Bender) Bender funeral program and obituary
7. Jacob Bender's copy book, 1869
   Note: Transferred from Lorraine Roth fonds. Possibly belonged to Jacob H. Bender (b. 1857), a cousin of Christian S. Bender.
8. Translation of the genealogical information in the Bender family Bible
   Note: Further transcriptions and translations located in the Lorraine Roth fonds, Hist.Mss.1.117.1/11. The Bible was last in the possession of Noah J. Bender, a nephew of Christian S. Bender, before it was housed at Goshen College in 1928.
9. Bender Male Quartette
   Note: Transfer from the Lorraine Roth fonds. The quartette sang on the Mennonite Hour radio program. At least three of its members were grandsons of Christian S. Bender.
10. Orie Bender's school reports from Cassel S.S.1, East Zorra, 1932-1935
    Note: Orie Bender is the grandson of Christian S. Bender.
11. Passport of Jacob Bender (1791-1843) issued by the Grand Duchy of Hesse, 1831
    Note: Transferred from the Mennonite Church USA Archives (Goshen) in 2016. Jacob Bender is the grandfather of Christian S. Bender.
12. Papers from a photograph album compiled by Joseph Kennel
    Note: The album's photographs are described as part of Series 2.

Series 2: Photographs

The Christian S. Bender and Annie (Kennel) Bender family photograph collection is described in the Mennonite Archival Image Database.

Series 3: Realia

1. Bayonet from the Franco-Prussian War brought to Canada by Joseph Kennel in 1891.
   Note: Joseph is the uncle of Anne (Kennel) Bender
2. Embroidery, "Johannes Kennel 1853"