George William "Bill" Knell

Other Events:

• Business: Wm. Knell & Co., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Interesting: business, life story,
• Name: William Knell
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-98062P
• Residence: 1891, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1901, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Plumber
• Business: 1910, 45 King St. W., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1911, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Income
• Residence: 1911, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1919, 126 Breithaupt St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1921, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Store Keeper, Hardware
• Residence: 1921, 126 Breithaupt St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1921, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1962, RR2, Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

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

Business:
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.

George — Nora Wilhelmine Merner. Nora (daughter of Ammon Merner and Sophia Barbara Ernst) was born 29 Oct 1882, Baden, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 9 Apr 1982, Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-308800
• Residence: 1921, 126 Breithaupt St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1921, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Other Events:

• Name: Marie Knell
• Name: Minerva Marie Beam
• Name: Minerva Marie Miller
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-80853

Notes:

Miller-Beam, M. Marie - It is will great sadness the family announces Marie's passing, peacefully, at her residence, in Kitchener, on Wednesday, July 6, 1994. Marie was born in Kitchener on August 29, 1916, a daughter of the late Norah Merner Knell and William (Bill) Knell, founder of Wm. Knell and Co. Ltd. Beloved wife of Samuel E. Beam. Dear mother of Judith Scheifele of RR 1, Elmira, William (Bill) and his wife Miron Miller of RR 22, Cambridge and Frances and her husband Bruce Wiseman of RR 3, Mildmay. "Gramma Ree" to Chris and Keith Scheifle, John and Frank Anjo and Jessica and Andrew Wiseman. She is also fondly remembered by her sister-in-law, Kathleen Miller of Waterloo. Predeceased by her first husband, Ralph E. C. Miller in February 1980. Marie's family will receive friends at the Edward R. Good Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo today (Friday) from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. The funeral service will be held in the chapel of the funeral home Saturday at 11 a.m., with Rev. Alan Kehn and Rev. Eric Reble officiating. Internment to follow in Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo. Donations to Epilepsy Canada or a charity of your choice would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy. Friends and relatives are invited to the Reception Room of the funeral home following the committal service at the cemetery.

The Record, July 8, 1994

Minerva — Ralph Edward Charles Miller. Ralph (son of Edward John Miller and Adien Regina Reuter) was born 2 Aug 1918, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 2 Feb 1980, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Minerva — Samuel E. Beam. Samuel was born CA 1916; died Sep 1995. [Group Sheet]

Judith — Brian Schiefele. [Group Sheet]