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George William "Bill" Knell

George William "Bill" Knell

Male 1881 - 1969  (87 years)

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  • Name George William "Bill" Knell 
    Born 27 Sep 1881  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] 
    Gender Male 
    Business Wm. Knell & Co., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Wm. Knell & Co. 1912    		 Wm. Knell & Co. 1912
    Kitchener, Ontario King St.
    Kitchener-WilliamKnell-0001-toiletroller.jpg    		 Kitchener-WilliamKnell-0001-toiletroller.jpg
    Residence 1891  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Lutheran 
    Occupation 1901  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Plumber 
    Kitchener-WilliamKnell-0002-StoreFront-SouceUnknown.jpg    		 Kitchener-WilliamKnell-0002-StoreFront-SouceUnknown.jpg
    William Knell - Kitchener, Ontario
    Business 1910  45 King St. W., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 45 King Street West is associated with William Knell and Company who purchased the building in 1910 as the new location for their successful Plumbing House. With the larger space and increasing business, the company expanded adding a Hardware and Tinsmithing Department to the flourishing Plumbing and Heating House. The firm installed some of the largest plumbing infrastructure in western Ontario.
    Interesting business, life story, 
    Name William Knell 
    Occupation 1911  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Income 
    Residence 1911  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Lutheran 
    Residence 1919  126 Breithaupt St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Occupation 1921  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Store Keeper, Hardware 
    Residence 1921  126 Breithaupt St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Residence 1921  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Lutheran 
    Residence 1962  RR2, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mr. Knell's Private Park, Bridgeport, Ontario 1962    		 Mr. Knell's Private Park, Bridgeport, Ontario 1962
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-98062P 
    Died 5 Apr 1969  RR2, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Buried Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Person ID I98062  Generations
    Last Modified 10 Jul 2025 

    Father Johann Friedrich "Frederick" Knell,   b. 11 Feb 1841, Glarus, Glarus, , , Switzerland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Feb 1915, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years) 
    Mother Anna Catharine Wilhelmina "Mina" Seip,   b. 28 Jul 1847, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Jun 1930, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 82 years) 
    Married Mar 1872  [6] 
    Family ID F25246  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Nora Wilhelmine Merner,   b. 29 Oct 1882, Baden, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Apr 1982, Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 99 years) 
    Children 
     1. Maria Knell,   b. 1916, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     2. Minerva Marie Knell,   b. 29 Aug 1916, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 6 Jul 1994, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years)
    Last Modified 10 Jul 2025 
    Family ID F30444  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    William Knell    		William Knell
    William Knell    		William Knell

  • Notes 
    • In Business 63 Yrs., William Knell Dies

      George William (Bill) Knell, president of William Knell and Co. Ltd., died suddenly Saturday from a heart attack at his home, RR 2, Waterloo. He was 87. As founder and president of the wholesale hardware distributing firm, he was active in the retail and wholesale business for 63 years. Sixty-three years ago this month Mr. Knell started a plumbing, heating and tinsmithing shop in a little brick building on Queen Street South. He was 25 at the time, a hockey player for the old Berlin OHA team and the owner of a horse and carriage to ply his trade

      25 Cents an Hour

      His pay was 25 cents an hour as a plumber. He learned the trade at Philip Gies foundary and had amassed $1,000 working as a steamfitter in Calgary before hockey officials here called him back. His original shop, which stood on the site of the old Kitchener Auditorium on Queen Street South, has long since been torn down. It is now a part of the Charles Street extension. Mr. Knell parlayed the original $1,000 and his horse and carriage into what is today William Knell and Co. Ltd., 199 Victoria St. S., wholesale distributors of hardware, industrial and plumbing supplies and Nelco (Kitchener) Ltd., a hardware store at 45 King St. W., and a plumbing, heating and sheet metal business at 77 Edwin St. In 1957 the hardware store and the Edwin Street business were taken over by his relatives and are now headed by his nephew, Carl Knell. Mr. Knell was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Knell. His marriage to Norah Wilhelmina Merner, who survives, took place in Waterloo in 1915. He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Bridgeport.

      Funeral Tuesday

      Mr. Knell was a charter member of the Granite Club. He played with the Berlin hockey team from 1900 to 1903 and was a member of the Berlin OHA team in 1905. In 1907 he played for Berlin's first professional hockey team. Besides his wife, Mr. Knell is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Ralph (Marie) Miller, RR 2, Waterloo; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Two brothers and two sisters predeceased him. The body is at his home, RR 2 Waterloo, where a private family service will be conducted Tuesday at 11 a.m.

      Rev. Ralph Huras, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, will officiate, assisted by Rev. S. J. Wittig. Internment will be in Mount Hope cemetery, Kitchener. A memorial service will be held Tuesday at 4 p.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Bridgeport. Donations to the charity of one's choice may be made as expressions of sympathy.

      Kitchener-Waterloo Record, April 7, 1969

  • Sources 
    1. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, Berlin (Town/Ville) A-3 Page 1.

    2. [S340] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1911, Div.. 21 Page 13.

    3. [S166] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Mount Hope CC#4508 Internet Link .
      William Knell/ 1881-1969/ his wife/ Norah Knell/ nee Merner/ 1882-1982/ Carl William/ Stevenson/ 1913 Knell 2001/ his wife/ Jean Donalda/ Anderson/ 1914-2002/ Knell

    4. [S1647] Bible - Knell Family Bible (John Frederick Knell).

    5. [S2264] Census - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - 1921, Sub Dist 22 Page 5.

    6. [S1592] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1891, Section 4 Page 9.

    7. [S1675] Directory - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - 1919 - Vernon's City of Kitchener and Town of Waterloo Directory for the year 1919, pg 6.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 27 Sep 1881 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Lutheran - 1891 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Plumber - 1901 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBusiness - 1910 - 45 King St. W., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Income - 1911 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Lutheran - 1911 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1919 - 126 Breithaupt St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Store Keeper, Hardware - 1921 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1921 - 126 Breithaupt St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Lutheran - 1921 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1962 - RR2, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 5 Apr 1969 - RR2, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 


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