Descended From Hans Gnage
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Kenaga Family Photo's		    
Research by: Pat Mote
Different sources assign different names to our immigrant ancestor. Hans,Johannes, John, and Joseph all appear. Hans, Johannes, and John are found on legal documents, whereas Joseph is found in family traditions. Various spellings of the Gnage family name include: Gnaegy, Gnaegi, Gnagey,Gnagegie, Gnagi,Gnagy,Genegy,Knag,Kanagy, Kenagy, and our name Kenaga.

Hans Gnage, an Amish Mennonite was born in Switzerland during 1720. He may have immigrated to the Amish Mennonite community at Montebeliard, France and have also spent time in England before coming to America. It was in England that he married an English woman, Mary Holden, and started a family. He and his family boarded the ship Frances and Elizabeth arriving in Pennsylvania on September 21, 1742. It was said that Mary died on the voyage and was buried at sea.

Hans was granted a warrant to 122 acres of land in Berks County, Pennsylvania. This property lies between Shartlesville and Hamburg. This is near the first organized Amish congregation. Around 1750 Hans remarried Magdalene Yoder(?) . He named his brother in law Christian Yoder as executor of his estate. Hans became a naturalized British subject in Philadelphia on April 10,1761. In 1763 Hans sold his 122 acres and moved 20 miles west, purchasing 200 acres in Lebanon County. He adopted a grist mill and farmed until his death in 1772. Madgalene and the family remained on the land until the end of the century.

Children of Hans Gnage [1720-1772] and Mary Holden:
  • Christian [b.1740?] [d. October 1799]
  • John [b.1742] [d.1833]
Children of Hans Gnage and Magdalene Yoder:
  • Magdalena[b.1744][m.John Zug] [d.1795]
  • Gertrude [b.1748] [m.Jacob Zug]
  • Ulrich [b.1750][m.Maria Snavely,Elizabeth Greiss][d.March 1,1820]
  • Joshua [b.June 10,1758][m.Anna Sharrick,Susanna Vandersaal][d.April 1843]
  • Jacob [b.1760] [m.Barbara Yoder,Ann Yoder?] [d1837]
  • Joseph [b. July 22,1763][Catherine Snavely,Elizabeth Reem][d.April 14,1843]
  • Veronica
  • Anna
  • Abraham ?
  • David ?
Jacob Kanagy was born in 1760, the fifth son of Johannes Gnage. He married Barbara Yoder and later Anna Yoder. Jacob obtained 166 acres of farmland from his father 's old homestead in Swatara Township. Jacob Negey was listed as having five boys and one girl in Dauphin County in 1790. Barbara died in 1798 after the birth of Sarah. Jacob sold his property and moved to Mifflin County near Belleville, Pennsylvania. This was an Amish community. Jacob issued his last will and testament in 1832. He actually made a distribution to his son, Abraham, to care for him until his death. Jacob had three sons which remained and died in Pennsylvania.
Children of Jacob Kanagy and Barbara Yoder:
  • Christian
  • John [b.1785] [m.Mary Hooley, Sarah Byler][d.1850]
  • David [b.1787][m.Rebecca Hartzler][d.1862]
  • Abraham [b.1789][d.1858]
  • Joseph [b.1792] [m.Veronica Hooley][d.August 11,1874]
  • Henry [b.1795][d.1858]
  • Sarah[b.May 1798]
Children of Jacob Kanagy and Anna Yoder:
  • Barbara [b.1798]?
  • Veronica [b.1800]
John Kanagy was born in 1785. His first wife was Mary Hooley, daughter of John and Catherine Hooley. They settled in Union Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. John's second wife was Sarah Byler, daughter of Hans and Mary (Detweiler) Byler. They began their family in Union Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. John died November of 1850 and Sarah died between March and April of 1862.
Children of John Kanagy and Mary Hooley:
  • Catherine [b.1811][m.Joel Zook][d March 1900]
  • Jacob[b.June 1, 1813][m.Lydia Zook][d.March 26, 1857]
  • Francis [b.December 15, 1815][Frances died young, John gave another child the same name]
  • John Hooley[b.November 16, 1816][m.Anna Yoder, Gertrude Yoder ][d.February 23, 1872]
  • Mary [b.December 1, 1819][m.Jonathon King][d.1854]
  • Elizabeth [b.November 10, 1821][m.Simon Yoder][d.Sept. 8,1896]
  • Lydia [b.January 23, 1823][m.Gideon Detweiler][d.June 28, 1893]
Children of John Kanagy and Sarah Byler:
  • Asa C. [b.January 21, 1825][m.Salome Yoder][d.February 19, 1867]
  • Joshua [b.February 20, 1827][m.Magdalena Yoder][d.March 14, 1891]
  • Rudolph H. [b.September 16, 1832][m.Elizabeth Hartzler][d.September 8, 1914]
  • Sarah [b.October 23, 1834][m.Adam Kurtz][d.February 15, 1911
  • Veronica Francis [b.December 29, 1836][m. Jonas Yoder][d. February 15, 1911]
  • Solomon Byler [b.October 18, 1841][m.Mary Ellen Yoder][d.1914]
Rudolph Kenaga (picture) was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania on December 12, 1832. Since his father John Kennegy, died around 1850 Rudy was placed in the guardianship of Levi King until he came of age. He married Elizabeth Hertzler, daughter of Jonathon Hertzler, on January 15, 1857. Rudolph and Elizabeth left Mifflin Co. for Champaign County, Ohio. A few years later they settled near Mottville and White Pigeon, Michigan. The family finally settled on a farm in LaGrange County, Indiana. Rudolph was a carpenter and a part time farmer. Rudolph died September 8, 1914 and Elizabeth in June 21, 1876.
Children of Rudolph Kenaga and Elizabeth Hertzler:
  • Menno Simmon [b.November 19, 1857][m.Mary Alice Plank][d.September 1954]
  • Amanda [b.June 1, 1862][m.Henry Riches][d. September 20, 1931]
  • Nancy [b.February 21, 1859][m. Amos Grady][d.July 22, 1912]
  • Amina [b.October 15, 1865][m.Robert Grady, Alfred Loomis][d.March 8, 1908]
Menno Simon Kenaga (picture) was born November 19, 1857 in Champaign County, Ohio, son of Rudolph and Elizabeth (Hertzler) Kenaga. He married Mary Alice Plank, daughter of Christian Plank (picture) on January 1, 1884. Menno and his family lived in various places in LaGrange County, Indiana before finally settling in Elkhart County, Indiana. He farmed and cared for 10 acres of grapes. He lived in Dunlap, Indiana until his death in 1956 at the age of 97. Mary Alice lived a short time after at the Church of the Brethren Home in Mexico, Indiana where she died at the age of 95. They were always a member of the Church of the Brethren.
Children of Menno Simon Kenaga and Mary Alice Plank:
  • Ivan [b.September 14, 1885][m.Mabel Yoder, Mabel Dellman, Elizabeth Bertch][d.1973]
  • Melvin S. [b.January 12, 1888][m.Myrtle Essig, Leona Mae Bertch][d.August 25,1957]
  • Ervin D. [b.September 23, 1890][m.Laura Long][d.December 17, 1953]
  • Roy J. [b. March 31, 1894][m.Jessie Cripe][d.1896]
  • Noble Ray [b.July 18, 1897][m.Hazel Loney][d.April 14,1991]

Roy J. Kenaga (picture) was born March 31, 1894 , the fourth son of Menno Kenaga and Mary Alice Plank. He was born on his grandfather's Rudolph farm in LaGrange County, Indiana. When Roy was four years old, his family moved to Topeka, Indiana. It was there where the Kenaga boys had their first experience with a one room school on the corner of their father's farm.

After graduating from the eighth grade, Roy returned to school. He had many job experiences. He finally settled on the insurance business building it up from scratch. Roy married Jessie Cripe, daughter of Franklin and Esther (Self) Cripe in October 9, 1915. She died February 2, 1964 and he remarried Hazel Miller on January 16, 1965. Roy was a successful business man. He was on the Board of Directors of the First Federal Savings and Loan of Goshen, Indiana. He helped to start this bank from scratch which eventually merged with Tower Bank of South Bend, Indiana. He was also a member of the Rotary Club for over 50 years. Roy and Jessie were active in the Goshen City Church of the Brethren where Roy was the director of the choir.
Child of Roy Kenaga and Jessie Cripe:
  • Mary Lucille [b.November 25, 1928][m. William J. Long]

Mary Lucille Kenaga (picture) was the only child born to Roy and Jessie Kenaga. She was born on November 25, 1928. Lucille's family life was centered around the Church of the Brethren where her father was choir director. She began taking piano lessons from her mother at the age of five and then studied further with others. At the age of 9, she took up the cello playing in the school orchestra. During her high school years she played the trombone in the band. Lucille married William J. Long, son of William Leroy and Hazel Long. They were married in November 8, 1945.

Lucille became active in selling real estate and obtained her broker's license in 1969. She became an active partner with her husband in business at Bill Long and Associates which later became Century 21. She served on many committees: Goshen City Board of Appeals, Elkhart County Board of Zoning Appeals, Goshen Public Library Board, Oakland Mental Health Board and was a director of the First National Bank of Goshen which merged with the National Bank of Detroit..

Children of William Long and Mary Lucille Kenaga Long:
  • Mary Patricia [b. March 13, 1946][m. James F. Mote]
  • James William [b.September 2, 1955][m.Cherrill Von Dyson]
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