Our grandfather, Georges A. von Kaenel, descended from Cuni-Konrad von Känel (b. Abt. 1532 in Aeschi, Bern, Switzerland). Georges' ancestors lived in the Aeschi bei Spiez area for 100's of years. In the mid 1800's, Georges's grandfather, Anton von Kaenel and his wife Anna (neé STRUCHEN) migrated to Val de Ruz, Canton Neuchatel, Switzerland, where they farmed and raised their family.
Anton died in 1865, a young man. Anna remarried to a man named Arnold Friedrich ROTHEN in 1869. Shortly after, some of the children left Switzerland to look for work. We know several went to England and returned to Switzerland to live and raise their families. Others remained in England, and we are still searching for their descendants.
Anton's son, Eduard, went to England and met and married Swiss-born Cécile Anna NICOUD, and they returned to Switzerland where they lived out their lives. Eduard's siblings were Eugene, who married Susanna BULLEN in England; Karoline, who married Thomas BENNETT in England; Ferdinand (Fred) who was in America (Colorado) by about 1870, and then in Portland, Oregon from 1918 to his death in 1952 – he married Pauline HOFFMAN in 1923; Elise married Aléxis Graü; Albert married Lily Jane ROWLATT and died in Cardiff, Wales, UK; Bertha married William Badham BURNSIDE in England; Pauline appears not to have married and she died in Canton Neuchatel in 1926; Emile Eugen married Emma Bertha PORTNER in England.
Two of Eduard’s sons, Georges (aka George) and his older brother Eduard Antoine (aka Tony) were both in California by 1907. George settled in San Rafael, California and married Marie Theresa ARRIEU, who came to San Rafael from a small village named Béost in the Pyrénées - Atlantiques, France. Marie had a brother named Bernard ARRIEU who married Olga BECHAT from Laruns, France - a village near Béost. Bernard and Olga lived most of their married life in Manhattan, New York and in Litchfield, Connecticut. Another important name to the Béost family is FORTAYON.
Tony married Antoinette ROMAGNA from Stroppo, Italy and settled in Oakland, California.
George changed the surname from von Kaenel (von Känel) to KAENEL. Tony kept the name von Kanel (without the umlaut). There are many, many derivations of the name von Känel and a few follow: (with or without the "von" and with a "K" or "C") Canal, Caniel, Cornell, de Kanal, Fincannon, Foncannon, Funcannon, Kanehl, Kaynell, Kehnell, Keinal, Kennell, Keynall, vo Channel, Voncannon, Vonchanel, Vonchamill, Vonjhanel.
We are seeking information to fill gaps in our family history, and would be happy to be in touch with others researching these lines.
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