Kennel, Ada E., daughter of John A. and Emma (Kauffman) Kennel, was born near Atglen, Pa., Aug. 17, 1913; died of emphysema Lancaster Osteopathic Hospital, Aug. 28, 1977; aged 64 y. Surviving are 4 sisters (Lena, Minerva, Rebecca Mrs. Elmer Beiler, and Mary Emma Mrs. Ephraim Nafziger), and one brother (John A., Jr.). She was a member of Millwood Mennonite Church, where funeral services were held on Sept. 1, in charge of Reuben Stoltzfus, Noah Hershey, and Aaron Kauffman; interment in Millwood Cemetery.
Grammy said she had emphysema as a result of a bout of pneumonia when she was two.
I don't remember ever talking to aunt Ada about her education and adventures. What struck me in my conversation with Grammy is how different aunt Ada was than her sisters. Some time in the late 30's or 40's she went to EMC for a term or two. There were a few others from Millwood young people at the time who went but she's the only one of bishop John Kennel's daughters to go for a whole term. These were winter six week terms I believe and were mostly Bible courses but Grammy said aunt Ada took German.
I'm almost sure it would have been after her time at EMC she started corresponding with a woman from Germany. The reason I think that would have been later is that I imagine that starting up after WWII not before or during the war.
Then most astounding of all, this diminutive Chester county Amish - Mennonite with a constant thick cough from her emphysema who had probably never been to more than 4 or 5 states outside PA all her life decided to visit this pen-pal in Germany. It was some time in the late 50's because I distinctly remember going along with my parents and siblings to New York City to see aunt Ada board a ship to Germany. No one she knew went with her on the ship so I wonder what kind of conversations she had with fellow passengers. Did her host meet her at the dock in Germany or did she have to board a train there to get to where her host was from?
During the course of our conversation, Grammy reported that when aunt Ada returned from EMC Papa Kennel said never again. He had had too much anxiety. When I returned to that a bit later in the conversation she changed her mind and said that it was after aunt Ada's return from Germany that he said she shouldn't do it again. Quite often on the anniversary of Papa Kennel's father's suicide Papa Kennel would have some kind of mental weakness or anxiety.
That probably says as much about the culture as it does about the man that he would tell his 40 something daughter not to travel overseas anymore.
I'd love to hear any memories you siblings have of aunt Ada or any corrections or additions you have. My memories of aunt Ada are mostly her coughing and sitting by her sewing machine sewing head coverings. As far as I know that was her only source of income as an adult. There was a retail store close to route 30 on the way to Lancaster where they were sold.
