John Christian Kunkel and Elizabeth Crain Rutherford

---

---

Husband John Christian Kunkel ^{1 2 3}

---

           Born: 18 Sep 1816 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 1 2 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 16 Oct 1870 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 1
         Buried: 

---

         Father: George Kunkel (1784-1850) 1 4
         Mother: Catharine Ziegler (1797-1833) 1 4

---

       Marriage: 20 Oct 1857 5

---

---

Wife Elizabeth Crain Rutherford ^{1 3 5}

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: Dr. William Wilson Rutherford (1805-1873) 6 7 8
         Mother: Eleanor Crain (1805-      ) 6 7 8

---

---

Children

---

1 M John C. Kunkel, Jr. ⁹

---

           Born: 22 Sep 1858 10
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Louisa Sergeant (      -      ) 11

---

2 M William Rutherford Kunkel ¹²

---

           Born: 30 Mar 1861 12
     Christened: 
           Died: 30 Dec 1864 12
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

---

3 F Sarah Eleanor Kunkel ¹²

---

           Born: 27 Sep 1866 12
     Christened: 
           Died: 11 Jun 1871 12
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

---

---

General Notes: Husband - John Christian Kunkel

---

He received a liberal scientific and classical education in the schools at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, at which latter institution he graduated. After leaving college he entered Carlisle Law-School, under Judge Read, subsequently reading law with James McCormick, and admitted to the Dauphin County bar. After his admission to the bar he remained several years in the office with Mr. McCormick. He rapidly gained a large practice and a reputation which few members of the bar enjoyed. He also became active in politics, and in the earnest and exciting campaign of 1844, when the young men of the nation had made Henry Clay, then in the zenith of his career, their standard-bearer, the best talent and the most brilliant eloquence that ever graced the American rostrum was called into requisition. Amid all the magnificent display and power of logic that of the young orator of Pennsylvania, as Mr. Kunkel was recognized, was conspicuous as well for force of argument as for grace of delivery. The same year he was elected to the Legislature, re-elected in 1845, and again in 1850. In 1851
he was elected to the State Senate, and was chosen Speaker of that body at the close of the first session of his term. As a legislator, Mr. Kunkel was prominent for the wisdom of his counsel as well as for the power of his eloquence. His services at the capital added greatly to his already wide reputation as a pure statesman and accomplished scholar.
In 1854 and again in 1856 he was elected to the United States Congress. During the four years he spent at Washington City he was regarded throughout the country as one of the ablest statesmen at the national capital. In 1858 he retired from public life and gave his exclusive attention to the practice of his profession, varying the course of his life by occasionally helping a friend in a political canvass, and wherever he went he was always the favorite of the people. In 1868 he was stricken down by paralysis, and he never fully regained his health, at the age of fifty-four years. Perchance the loss of no member of the Dauphin County bar was so severely felt as that of Mr. Kunkel, if we are to judge of the glowing, sincere, and fraternal tributes paid to his memory by his brethren in the profession at the time of his death. [HDC 1883, 514]

He received a liberal scientific and classical education in the schools at Gettysburg and at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, at which latter institution he graduated. After leaving college he entered Carlisle law school under Judge Read, subsequently reading law with James McCormick, and admitted to the Dauphin county bar. After his admission to the bar, he remained several years in the office with Mr. McCormick. He rapidly gained a large practice and a reputation which few members of the bar enjoy. He also became active in politics, and, in the earnest and exciting campaign of 1844, when the young men of the nation had made Henry Clay, then in the zenith of his career, their standard-bearer, the best talent and the most brilliant eloquence that ever graced the American rostrum was called into requisition. Amid all the magnificent display and power of logic, that of the young orator of Pennsylvania, as Mr. Kunkel was recognized, was conspicuous as well for force of argument as for grace of delivery. The same year he was elected to the Legislature, re-elected in 1845, and again in 1850. In 1851 he was elected to the State Senate, and was chosen speaker of that body at the close of the first session of his term. As a legislator Mr. Kunkel was prominent for the wisdom of his counsel as well as for the power of his eloquence. His services at the capital added greatly to his already wide reputation as a pure statesman and accomplished scholar. In 1854 and again in 1856 he was elected to the United States Congress. During the four years he spent in Washington city, he was regarded throughout the country as one of the ablest statesmen at the National capital. In 1858 he retired from public life, and gave his exclusive attention to the practice of his profession, varying the course of his life by occasionally helping a friend in a political canvass, and, wherever he went he was always the favorite of the people. In 1868 he was stricken down with paralysis, and never fully regained his health, dying as previously stated. Perchance, the loss of no member of the Dauphin county bar was so severely felt as that of Mr. Kunkel, if we are to judge of the glowing, sincere, and fraternal tributes paid to his memory by his brethren in the profession at the time of his death. [BAFC, 364]

1 William Henry Egle, History of the County of Dauphin in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck, 1883), Pg 514.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Company, Publishers, 1896), Pg 237.

3 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 358.

4 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 357.

5 —, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Company, Publishers, 1896), Pg 238.

6 William Henry Egle, History of the County of Dauphin in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck, 1883), Pg 557.

7 —, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Company, Publishers, 1896), Pg 363, 1012.

8 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 151.

9 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 224, 365.

10 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 365.

11 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 224, 364.

12 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 364.