How Leonard Kumling/Zunling of Pilgrim Churchis Actually Bernhard Kimmel/KimelReport by Timothy W. Kimmel of Fort Wayne, IN |
| The NSDAR translation from three records
of Pilgrim German Lutheran Church in Davidson County, North Carolina are: 1) A baptism: "Christian Kumling(?) born 24 April 1796, baptized May 15 1796. Parents are Leonard Kumling and wife Catharina. Sponsors are Michael Zinck and Margaretha." 2) A baptism: "Jacob Zunling (?) was born July 19, 1799, and was baptized Aug. 25, 1799. The parents are Leonhard Zunling and his wife Catarina. The sponsors were Jacob Webel and Elizabeth his wive. (Very dim. Part cannot be read)" 3) Record of a communion prior to 1802 includes "Cath. Gumle (prob. Kumling)" The old German form of Kimmel is Kümmel, and that is closest to Kumling than any name I've seen in the church records or tax and census records of that time. Friedberg Moravian Church records refer to him as Bernhardt Gimmel (1817); Bernhardt Kimmel (1823); Barny Kimmel; Bernhard Kimmel and Kimmel Sr. (1833); Kimel (1834); and old Bernhard Kimmling and Old Mr. Kimmel (1837). Note the spellings "Kumling" and "Gumle" in Pilgrim Church and "Kimmling" and "Gimmel" in the Friedberg Church records. Also note that sponsors for Jacob's baptism in 1799 in the Pilgrim Church records were Webels (old form of Weaver) and Barny's wife was Catharine Weaver. And note that Jacob's birth is recorded as 7/19/1799 in the Pilgrim Church records and the birth date for the Jacob Kimel buried in the Kimel Cemetery is engraved 7/16/1799. |