In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1912) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1856
From A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902), History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912)
REV. JOHN P. KUNNERT.
Devoting his life to the spread of the Gospel as a priest of the Catholic church. Rev. John P. Kunnert is now in charge of the congregation in New Washington. He was born in Mandercagne, in the grand duchy of Luxembourg, on the 27th of October, 1856, his parents being Henry and Magdalen (Scheuerens) Kunnert. The father was born in 1823, in the same house in which occurred the birth of our subject, the property having descended through the eldest sons of the family from generation to generation. Through a long period representatives of the name have been farmers and breeders of fine stock, and for a number of years the father received more premiums at fairs for thoroughbred horses and cattle than any other one man. He brought his stock up to a very high standard of perfection and his labors were of benefit to> the locality in which he resided, for he greatly improved the grade of stock raised and therefore increased its market value, On numerous occasions he was chosen to act as judge at stock shows. His death occurred August 2 1, 10,00. Llis wife, who also was born in the village where his birth occurred, first opened her eyes to the light of day in 1825 and represented one of the old families of farming people in that locality. She is still living and is also an excellent judge of horses. Since her husband's death she has managed the business, and her opinion is considered authority on stock. Mr. and Mrs. Kunnert were the parents of seven children, of whom six are living, namely: Margaret, now the wife of Jacob Keifer; Nicholas; Mary A.; John N., a railroad contractor in the employ of the Big Four Company at Cleveland, Ohio; Peter; and John P., of this review.
In taking up the personal history of Father Kunnert we note that he remained with his parents until his fifteenth year, when, in 1871, he entered the government commercial college at Ettelbrick, Luxembourg, where he was graduated in the spring of 1874. Subsequently he went to Belgium and entered the Petit Seminary, an ecclesiastical college at Bostogne, Belgium, where he remained for five years. On the expiration of that period he went to France and for two and a half years was a student at Lnxenil les Bains, being in the Petit Seminary in the province of Haute Saone; from that place he returned to Belgium Seminary and studied philosophy, continuing in that institution for a year and completing his course there in the fall of 1882.
Father Kunnert then came to America and made his way to Wyandot county, Ohio, to visit some relatives, who were living in the town of Kirby. After some months there passed he went to Cleveland and entered St. Mary's Theological Seminary, where he continued until the spring of 1886. A week after he left the institution he went to Upper Sandusky and said his first mass. He was soon afterward given charge of the Catholic church in Harrisburg, Stark county, and also had charge of a mission, known as Maximo Mission, remaining there until December, 1888, when he was transferred to St. Peter'church in Cleveland, where he remained fifteen months. In the spring of 1890 he returned to his first charge in Stark county, acting as pastor at that place until September, 1899, when he was called to New Washington. In each church he has been handicapped by heavy debts, but these he has cleared away and on leaving the churches has left money in the treasury. He is most earnest and untiring in his labors in behalf of his people and ministers to their spiritual needs with marked devotion. In connection with the church at New Washington he superintend the Honey Creek Mission at Auburn.
Father Kunnert has inherited his father's love for a good horse and now has a mare in his stables whose sire was a brother of Star Pointer. In manner Rev. Kunnert is genial, kindly and courteous and wins friends wherever he goes, and at the same time he fully sustains the dignity of his high and holy office.
As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
REV. JOHN P. KUNNERT, pastor of St. Bernard's Roman Catholic church, at New Washington, O., was born Oct. 2" 1856, in the grand-duchy of Luxemburg, Germany, and is a son of Henry and Magdalena (Scheurens) Kunnert.
Henry Kunnert lived and died in the province in which he was born, married and reared his children. Both he and wife were faithful Catholics and were good and worthy people. They lived into old age, the father dying in his 76th year and the mother still lives, being in her 85th year. Of their family of seven children, six yet survive although scattered in their homes, one son living in South America.
John P. Kunnert remembers well the old homestead in which he was born and which had been the birthplace of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was of an unusually bright mind in youth and was afforded excellent educational advantages, attending school in Belgium and in France and completing agricultural, commercial and philosophical courses, prior to coming to America to enter a theological seminary at Cleveland, O. After completing his studies there he was appointed pastor of the church at Harrisburg, Stark county, O., where he remained for two and one-half years; then for one and one-half years was assistant pastor at St. Peter's church at Cleveland, O., when he returned to Harrisburg and remained with the church there from 1890 until 1899. In September of that year he was appointed pastor of St. Bernard's church at New Washington and has continued here ever since.
The church over which Rev. Kunnert presides has a very interesting history. In 1844 about twelve German Catholic families, living in and near New Washington, were detached from St. Stephen's congregation, in Seneca county, and formed into a separate mission, and Father Trawin Brunner was the first priest to visit this now congregation. For nearly two years mass was said in private houses. In 1846 a small frame edifice was erected for church purposes built on land bought May 21, 1846. In these early days the present site of New Washington was covered with swamps and trees and the first priest who passed through here, Rev. F. N. Tchenhens, in 1840, said mass and administered religious consolation in the house of a Mr. Wurst, which stood where the town has since been built. Mass was also said at different times in the house of John Quit. The twelve heads of families who composed the congregation at New Washington were: Peter-Young, John Fortner, Joseph Wurst, Mathew Saehnhoff, John Quit, Timothy McCarthy, Casper Dellos, Nicholas Kiefer, Peter Mueller, Mathew Kramer, Peter Gonlong and Benedict Uhl. They bought a lot from Mr. Meier, for the sum of thirteen dollars and in 1842 hewed the timber for the first St. Bernard church and the first church was built in 1843 by B. Pratt, he receiving one hundred dollars for framing it. In the next year it was roofed and by 1845 the little church was completed and stood as a record of Catholic zeal.
In 1844 the Right Reverend Bishop Purcell paid his first episcopal visit and in 1850, the Right Reverend Bishop Rappe visited the place for the first time. The congregation had made preparations to give their bishop a formal welcome but he had anticipated them and was at the church before they started to meet him. During his visit he baptized Margaret, daughter of Peter Young, who at present is a Sister in the Sacred Heart of Mary Convent, at Cleveland, O. Almost immediately plans were made for the establishing of a school in connection with the church, for this congregation has always been an intelligent one and school sessions were held in the church building until 1852. Among the priests who visited and remained with the congregation for a time were the following clergy. Rev. F. S. Brunner came May 27, 1844, and remained until June, 1845. Rev. John Wittmer came in 1847. In 1848 came Rev. John Van Benbrock, and in 1852, Rev. Kreusch, who left May 27, 1852. From that time until Oct. 14, 1852, the mission was visited by Rev. Willibald Willi and from then until his return in the same year, it was visited by Rev. P. A. Capeda. Also, between 1841 and 1856 the following priests are mentioned in the church annals as having attended the New Washington congregation: Rev. August Berger, Rev. Sebastian Ganter. Rev. Clement Sweitzer, Rev. John Albright, Rev. Andrew Heibstridt, Rev. Nicholas Gales, Rev. Willibald Willi, from Thompson, and Rev. Peter Kruesch, from Shelby settlement. In May, 1856, Rev. Peter Wilhelmy succeeded and in the same year. Rev. Rochus Schnely became pastor. From December, 1856, until Oct. 4, 1857, Rev. Erhardt Glueck attended the congregation, the three last named priests coming from Thompson, O.
The first resident pastor of St. Bernard was Rev. Andrews Dambach and he served from Dec. 7, 1859, until May 9, 1865. He, like all the priests who had preceded him, with two exceptions, was a Sanquinist Father. Rev. M. Becker was the next resident pastor and he served from July 24, 1865, to June, 1881. Almost immediately after taking charge he began taking up subscriptions for the building of a new church, which was rendered necessary, as the congregation by this time had far outgrown the first little church which had been erected by such hard work. He sold the old place on March 31, 1868, and bought a fiveacre plat of ground, comprising ten town lots, fronting on Mansfield street, New Washington, paying $1,400 for the same. In the same year the work was started and the bride church was completed by the end of the following year. It is of Gk)thic architecture and its cost approximate $25,000. It was dedicated by Right Reverend Bishop Gilmour, Oct. 19, 1879. Father Becker made many more improvements in the parish before his departure. In June, 1 88 1, he was succeeded by Rev. Lawrence Heiland and it was during his pastorate that an acre of ground was bought for a cemetery and he also improved the church property. In 1886 Rev. John George Vogt became pastor and remained until 1899, in September of which year he was succeeded by Rev. John P. Kunnert.
Father Kunnert has not only continued the work done for St. Bernard by his predecessors but his plans have far outrun them. He has improved every part of the church property.
has put in a beautiful new altar, has enlarged the school buildings and improved the parsonage, and has introduced steam heating and electric lighting. From this congregation a new church at Honey Creek was formed but the present congregation includes 85 families, there are 94 pupils in the parochial school and it is under the care of two Sisters of St. Francis, from Tiffin, O., while Father Kunnert teaches the Bible and catechism. In addition to attending to the spiritual needs and looking after the material welfare of his church here. Father Kunnert developed a church from a mission at New Auburn. He owns a farm at Upper Sandusky and takes interest in seeing good stock through the country.
As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.