Bonnell-Bunnell Scholarship Funds

 We all know Claude Bonnell's Database (link listed on this blog, but how many of us knew he was a devoted supporter of his alma mater, the University of Delaware? According to this 2002 article on the University of Delaware's website  "He has created scholarships at Harrington High School, American University and at his golf club. His endowment of The Bunnell Family Scholarship for science students at UD is now worth more than $462,000."

My curiosity was raised. How many other Bonnell-Bunnell scholarships have been created by generous donors? I spent a couple hours on the internet and found quite a few.

This list is by no means comprehensive. It only includes the ones I found after a short internet search. If you know of any not listed here, let me know and it will be added.

Brian Bunnell Scholarship

In honor of Bunnell’s dedication to the school, a permanent and ongoing scholarship in his name was formed to be awarded to a student who personifies his love for adventure and learning science. the scholarship will be awarded to one of two seniors at Conifer High School, Winter Park, Colorado. Brian Bunnell was snowboarding on Berthoud Pass on Dec. 26 when he was caught in an avalanche. Despite rescue efforts, he did not survive. Bunnell was a chemistry teacher at Conifer High.

Bonnell Family Endowed Scholarship

St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

The Bonnell Foundation: Living with Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship Program

A scholarship for students with cystic fibrosis

Bunnell Fellowship Program American Foundation for the Fellowship of the Hand

The purpose of the Bunnell Traveling Fellowship, in honor of ASSH founder Sterling Bunnell, MD, is to provide scholarship funding for a young hand surgeon to pursue an educational or research goal that requires national and international collaboration, and which fosters the principles of scholarship of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Bunnell Scholarship

The Bunnell Scholarship provides scholarships to students at any campus of the University of Alaska. 

Charles Bunnell Mining Scholarship

The Charles Bunnell Mining Scholarship provides financial assistance to students in the School of Mineral Engineering, UAF College of Engineering and Mines of University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Dolores Bunnell Scholarship at Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA

This scholarship honors Dolores (Dee) Bunnel by establishing a scholarship for early childhood educators and professionals.

Dr. John Bunnell Scholarship of Music Fund, Community Foundation of New Jersey

This scholarship supports Madison High School Graduates Pursuing Higher Education and the Fine Arts

The Ed Bunnell Scholarship 

This Scholarship is an endowed fund that was created to recognize the contributions of Dr. Ed Bunnell, the first Dean of the School of Continuing Education and Special Programs, toward promoting adult learning and continuing education at the University of South Alabama. 

Joseph Ruwet Bunnell Scholarship Fund.  

The annual scholarship is awarded to a deserving Litchfield High School Student Athlete, Litchfield, Connecticut.

Kate Sterling Bunnell Scholarship Endowment Fund

This scholarship offers financial assistance for college expenses to Stratford, Connecticut resident students.

Kiel Bonnell Scholarship Fund

A memorial scholarship named for a young man, Kiel Bonnell who died at age 18 in a plane crash. His family decided to use the funds they were saving for Kiel’s college education to create this scholarship for any high school senior or current college student who is a member of or attends Grace United Methodist Church or other area churches in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

The Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Kenneth L. and Bonnita L. Bonnell Family Army ROTC Scholarship Honoring the U.S. Army Value of Selfless-Service

Recipients must be an Ohio State University Army Cadet from Union County. 

Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholarship. 

The Hornets launched the scholarship last season as part of the team’s efforts to honor the legacy and impact made on the organization, its fans and the city of Charlotte by former Charlotte Observer Hornets beat writer Rick Bonnell.

Robert Allen Bunnell Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded to an incoming graduate student in Journalism and Public Affairs at American University. 

The Stella Joy Bunnell Endowed Scholarship

The Stella Joy Bunnell Scholarships support nursing students at Rhode Island College, Zvart Onanian School of Nursing. It was established by Brian Krueger, Stella's grandfather in Stella's memory. 

Vickie Bunnell Advanced Education Scholarship

This Scholarship was founded by the Bunnell family and the Kiwanis Club of Colebrook, Vermont in Vickie’s memory to encourage post-secondary education by area residents who have decided to return to school after a break in their education following high school.

William L Bonnell Company, Inc. Scholarship

this scholarship is awarded to seniors in Mechanical Engineering or Industrial and Systems Engineering with an interest in operations at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Claude A. Bunnell, and His Incredible Legacy

This post is inspired by a chapter in  former editor Charles E. Bunnell (Charlie to his friends) recently compiled Bonnells & Bunnells of Note (And a few Burnells & Burrells for Good Measure). The complete work is available on Internet Archive at this link: Charlie Bunnell's Bonnells & Bunnells of Note.

We all owe a great deal to Claude A. Bunnell, whose database is incredible (linked to this blog).  When he died, Charlie published his obituary, taken from the Chandler Funeral Home website in the newsletter:

Claude A. Bunnell, age 89 of Lima PA, formerly of Wilmington DE and Long Boat Key Fl, passed away on Sept 5, 2010 after a long illness. 

He is survived by his wife of 61 years Sara Hackett Bunnell and 4 sons, Steven C, David E, Donald H, and Thomas B. Another son, Robert A predeceased him. Surviving also are 4 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. 

Services will be held at the CHANDLER FUNERAL HOME, 2506 Concord Pike, Wilmington DE on Friday Sept 10, 2010 at 11:00am. The family will greet friends at 10:30 am prior to the service. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to ACTS Hospice, 812 N. Bethlehem Pike, Ambler, PA 19002 would be appreciated. 

In its 2002 Report of Private Support, the University of Delaware honored Claude A. Bunnell for his financial support. He had attended UD thanks to a "loan" fund established by Pierre S. and Alice du Pont. Recipients were not required to make direct repayment, but to give back to the University when they were able to do so.

Claude repaid with gifts of more than $378,000 to UD, including $100,000 for the expansion of Colburn Laboratory. He also created scholarships at Harrington High School, American University and at his golf club.

What a legacy he left behind!!

51st Bonnell Reunion in Alton, Illinois July 15

 Attention Any Bonnells Who Live in the Midwest (or want to go there for fun and family).

51st Bonnell Reunion 

SATURDAY, JULY 15, 2023 

11 AM – 5 PM EDT

Gordon Moore Park, Alton, Illinois

Bring a side dish to share. Also any meat to throw on the grill. Lunch will be at noon so if you want food to be grilled you must arrive before then. Bring paper plates, napkins and utensils for your family. 

Click here for more information.

And if someone wants to send me a report and photos, we'll post them on the blog.

Bunnell Graves Near the Bunnell House, Winona County, Michigan

This post is based on a chapter in  former editor Charles E. Bunnell (Charlie to his friends) recently compiled Bonnells & Bunnells of Note (And a few Burnells & Burrells for Good Measure). The complete work is available on Internet Archive at this link: Charlie Bunnell's Bonnells & Bunnells of Note.

Ann Marie Middleton, Bay City, Michigan, previously sent information on brothers Willard and Lafayette Bunnell. From the archivists, Marianne Mastenbrook and Walt Bennick, at The Winona County Historical Society in Michigan, where the Willard Bunnell House is located, Ann received information on the Bunnell graves that were originally near the Bunnell House there.

“From what we have found out, the graves were moved from the Bunnel House property and put on the land that belonged to the Smith Family in Homer. However, these graves are only marked with "rocks" and the area is not taken care of as a Cemetery.  It is very, very hard to get to and a resident of Homer provided a map for us, and if someone goes, she must lead the way. [Marianne Mastenbrook]”

“Ann Marie - Please find photos and the Bunnell Grave Site attached. The grave site is along the top of a narrow ridge that extends up from the Bunnell House. It is leaf covered and the tomb stones are but pieces of limestone that have been placed at the head and foot of each grave. They are not marked, or at least no markings can be seen. It has been reported that there are nine graves at the site, but I counted only a couple of "markers." The markers are difficult to seen. On the b/w photos I tried contrast to enhance the stones, they are near the center of each photograph. - Walt Bennick, Archivist”

[Charlie’s Note: Six photos were provided; 3 color, 3 B&W, none that showed anything like a pile of stones even.]

Bonnell and Bunnell Members of the Grand Army of the Republic Post in Aurora, Illinois

Whenever I receive a newsletter from a genealogy society I look for Bonnells and Bunnells. The latest issue of The Quarterly Journal of the Illinois State Genealogical Society (Spring 2003 Vol. 55 No. 1) has a wonderful article by David C. Bailey, Sr.; Roger L. Knigge, Pamela Nila, and Eric Pry: A Roster of Aurora Post #20 GAR in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, Part 1.

It's an amazing article as every fact is supported by footnoted sources. If you have ancestors in Aurora, get hold of this article.

Three Bonnell-Bunnell men were members. I've linked the sources to associated web pages.

Alanson Dorman Bunnell 

Born 10 November 1817 in Connecticut. Died 25 June 1897; buried West Aurora Cemetery, Aurora, Illinois (Find A Grave Memorial 75642527)

Corporal, Company F, 2nd Connecticut Infantry, (Connecticut. General Assembly. Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the Army and Navy of the United States During the War of the Rebellion. Hartford, Connecticut: Case, Lockwood and Brainard, 1889. page 26.

Orville M. Bunnell

Born 4 August 1823 in Genoa, New York. Died 14 March 1896, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. (Find A Grave Memorial 81668815) (Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916)

Quartermaster, Sergeant, Company I, 6th Ohio Calvary. (Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion. 1861-1866, Vol 11 (eleven), p. 348)

William L. Bonnell

Born about 1845, in New York (based on age at enlistment)

Died 4 August 1918 Biloxi, Mississippi ("Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900", National Archive Catalog ID 2588825–image available on Fold3.com)

Private, Company C, 124th New York Infantry (Register of New York Regiments in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 36, p. 513 "Age, 19 years. Enlisted at Syracuse, to serve one year, and mustered in as private, Co. C, September 4, 1864; mustered out with company, June 3, 1865, near Washington D.C.")

Willard Bradley Bonnell & The Two Towns of Homer

This post is based on a chapter in  former editor Charles E. Bunnell (Charlie to his friends) recently compiled Bonnells & Bunnells of Note (And a few Burnells & Burrells for Good Measure). The complete work is available on Internet Archive at this link: Charlie Bunnell's Bonnells & Bunnells of Note.

Charlie wrote, "Ann Marie Middleton provided me with multiple sources for information on Willard Bradley [CB320351], brother of Lafayette Houghton Bunnell. An article about Lafayette was in the Newsletter, Vol. VII, No. 2, 1 April 1993, paged 16 - 20. An article about Willard Bunnell was in Vol. IV, No. 2, 1 Apr 1990, pg 24, but these sources provided a bit more detail.”

Willard Bunnell was born in Homer, Cortland County, NY in 1814, the son of Dr. Bradley and Charlotte (Houghton) Bunnell. By 1815 his family had moved to Rochester, NY and at the age of 10 he ran away from home, first to Buffalo and then as a cabin boy on one of the steamers that plied the Great Lakes. His father caught up with him and brought him back home, but he left again for the lakes and was taken in and trained by a Captain Fox, a friend of his father.  By the time he was 18 he was an excellent ship pilot. 

It was while he was a steam boat captain that he met his future wife, Matilda Desnoyer whose father was a fur trader. The couple married 20 July 1837 in the house of the Justice of the Peace, Abram Whitney, in Saginaw, Michigan Territory.  Matilda’s father signed to allow her to marry though under the age of 18.  At the time both Willard and Matilda listed their residences as the Town of Saginaw.  

In 1841 he evidently was still a seaman as an interesting event occurred. As he was helping to unload some goods from the ship into the cellar of a Mr. McDonald’s trading store in Saginaw, he and two other sailors spotted a box of money containing $800 that McDonald had hidden. Later that evening they went back and stole it and brought it on-board, bringing the ship’s mate into the plot. However one of the sailors, an Englishman, felt that Bunnell and the other sailor (Dezalia) had shortchanged him and the mate.  Seems that the mate and the Englishman had $130 each out of the total $800. The following winter he told Justice Williams at Detroit.  A trial was held for the Englishman, the mate and Dezalia. But Willard had heard about the confession and disappeard. At the time, Willard’s parents, brothers and sisters and wife all lived in the Saginaw vicinity.

One winter night the town heard that Willard was in the neighborhood and a posse set out to capture him. He was hiding in a wood cutter’s shanty and had just kindled a fire to thaw out his moccasins.  With the posse appearing Willard took off barefoot, but an icy crust on the snow lacerated his feet and he had to surrender.   

He was being held in a hotel (there being no jail) waiting for his feet to heal enough so he could travel to another town that had a jail.  The night before his departure one of his brothers, a sister and his wife came to visit him. Evidently a swap was done:  the brother and sister supposedly left, leaving only the wife there with Willard. At the end of the evening however, the sheriff found instead the brother and sister were there and Willard was long gone. 

He ended up with one of the Indian tribes until summer and then went to La Crosse, Wisconsin where his wife joined him. About this time, Willard gave up the ships and sea to become a fur trader like his father-in-law. At some point he had become familiar with the local Indian tribes and had learned some of the languages. He was asked to help with the relocation of the Winnebagoes in 1848 and while doing that he heard that soon the Dakotas led by Chief Wapasha would be relocated. So he obtained a traders license and was allowed by Wapasha onto their summer camp area at the present site of Winona, MN. 

In 1849 the Chief gave him permission to build a log cabin there about 200 feet from the present Bunnell house. After the present house was built, Willard’s brother Lafayette Bunnell lived in the cabin until 1901.

 Apparently Willard was not the right type of person to develop a town site. In 1851, when trying to acquire a claim to the nearby prairie area, another claimant blocked Willard claiming that he was there first. Squatter's rights seemed to prevail and occupation of the place was nine/tenths of the law. The controversy finally led to violence. Bunnell and Johnson each destroyed the other's shanty which was their evidence of a claim on the land. There ended up a fist fight which Willard seemed to have won, but none the less, he gave up on that claim to concentrate on his other site down river. There is a fascinating 8 page (349-356) description of this incident in Lafayette Bunnell’s book,  source  #3 below.

However Willard then turned his attention to trying to build a town on the Bluffs above Homer in 1853.  Once again squatter’s rights came into play and his rival was a Daniel Dougherty. In this fight, Willard’s thumb was bit to the point of mutilation and eventual amputation. Once again Willard lost the fight. Then finally came the issue of selection of a county seat. On January 2, 1854, the elected county board composed of Bunnell, a compatriot named Pike, and John Laird of Winona. The first vote ended in each member picking their own town. On January 30, 1854, Bunnell and Pike voted for Chatfield and that settled it.

In the late 1850s Willard had a new house building the town that he had named Homer, after his home town. It is a rural gothic style and is now owned by the Winona County Historical Society. Willard died in 1861 before the house was actually finished.  But his wife Matilda and their children lived there until her death in 1867.  Willard and Matilda had 8 children: David, John, Louise, Frances, Minnewah, Minnie, Irene, and Willard.

Matilda is as interesting as Willard. Dr. James Cole, a writer said this of her: 

“Mrs. Bunnell was the first white woman that came into this part of the Territory of Minnesota to live and the first to make her home … [in] Winona county.  … Although remarkably domestic in her habits, and observant of matters connected with her household duties, which make home desirable, she was able to paddle her own canoe and was a sure shot with either the rifle or fowling piece. While in general appearance and manners lady like and modestly feminine, she had remarkable courage and self-possession … The Indians respected and feared her although only a ’woman.’ 

Mrs. Bunnell was of French descent.  Besides speaking French, she was able to converse fluently with the Chippewas, Winnegaboes and Sioux, and had some knowledge of other dialects.”

Willard’s lineage is: William1, Benjamin2, Benjamin3, Gershom4, Job5, John6, Bradley7,Willard8.

Charlie based his article on these sources, most of which are available online:

1) History of Saginaw County Michigan, by James Cooke Mills, Saginaw, MI, Seemann & Peters, 1918, pages 111 - 113.

2) History of Winona County, H.H. Hill and Company, Chicago, 188, pages 576 - 579.

3) Winona (We-no-nah) and its Environs on the Mississippi in Ancient and Modern Days, by Lafayette Houghton Bunnell, M. D., Winona, MN, Jones and Krosger, 1897, multiple pages throughout the book.

4) "Lafayette Houghton Bunnell, M.D., Discoverer of the Yosemite," by Horace A Kelly, M.D.; Annals of Medical History, Vol. III (Summer,1921), Francis R. Packard, M.D. Editor, Paul B. Hoeber, New York, 1921, pages 179 - 193.

5) Minnesota Geographic Names, Their Origin and Historic Significance, by Warren Upham, Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, 1920: pg. 582

6) "The First Criminal Trial in Saginaw County," Report of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan, Vol. VII, Thorp & Godfrey, Lansing, 1886, pages 258 -260.

7) Proceedings of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin at its Sixty-First Annual Meeting, Published by the Society, 1914

8) Timbertown Log, Saginaw Genealogical Society, Winter 1981 - 82, Volume X, Issue 2, pg. 46.

9) Laying the Foundation, an online article on a Winona Historical Society web page that is no longer available but was captured by Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.. 

10) Willard Bunnell-Matilda DesNoyes Narriage Record, Early Saginaw County Marriages, , Transcribed from: Records for the count of Saginaw, Michigan Territory, 1835 - 1864 - Saginaw County Clerk

Elizabeth Taliaferro Bunnell Endorses Herbert Tarreytown Cigaettes

This post is inspired by a chapter in  former editor Charles E. Bunnell (Charlie to his friends) recently compiled Bonnells & Bunnells of Note (And a few Burnells & Burrells for Good Measure). The complete work is available on Internet Archive at this link: Charlie Bunnell's Bonnells & Bunnells of Note.

The fine print in this old advertisement reads: “Miss Elizabeth Taliaferro Bunnell, lovely young socialite of Richmond, VA., at The Greenbrier. Discriminating in her choice of cigarettes, Miss Bunnell says: ‘I smoke Herbert Tareyton because the cork tip adds so much to fine-tasting tobacco.’”

Elizabeth is 361053, the daughter of Frederick Hartsock and Louise Brander (Taliaferro) Bunnell. Her lineage is: William¹, Nathaniel², Isaac³, Abraham⁴, Abraham⁵, John⁶, Jonathan⁷, Samuel⁸, Franklin⁹, Frederick¹⁰, Elizabeth¹¹. 

Some of us old-timers might remember the Tarreytown ad campaign featuring all kinds of folks with black eyes saying, "I'd rather fight than switch."

William P Bonnell, Mayor of Union Township, Union County, New Jersey.

 This post is based on a chapter in  former editor Charles E. Bunnell (Charlie to his friends) recently compiled Bonnells & Bunnells of Note (And a few Burnells & Burrells for Good Measure). The complete work is available on Internet Archive at this link: Charlie Bunnell's Bonnells & Bunnells of Note.

According to Wikipedia's  Union Township, Union County, New Jersey

Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, is governed under New Jersey's township form of muniipal government. The article lists the mayors of Union, and among them is:

William P. Bonnell, 1896, 17th term.

The 1900 US Census records a William P. Bonnell living in this township, living with his wife, Melissa, and daughter, Mabel. He is buried in Roselle Park, Union Count, New Jersey, but neither his obituary or that of his wife mentions a term as mayor.

Can anyone confirm that this man served a term as mayor? If so, let us know, and we'll revise this post to include more information.

Five Bunnells and Their Strings

 This post is a chapter in former editor Charles E. Bunnell (Charlie to his friends) recently compiled Bonnells & Bunnells of Note (And a few Burnells & Burrells for Good Measure). The complete work is available on Internet Archive at this link: Charlie Bunnell's Bonnells & Bunnells of Note.

This chapter is about The Bunnell Strings. You can watch them play Healer of My Heart on YouTube.

Charlie wrote:

Several months ago Anne McDade Barrett of Oceanside, California, sent me a lengthy newspaper clipping from Good News, etc, a San Diego county (California) Christian Newspaper. It was the story of a quintet, The Bunnell Strings. Anne had also done some research and found the names of the parents. I finally contacted them, or at least their “leader,” Keren Bunnell who was happy to provide some family information for the database and newsletter.

First, their story:

The family consists of 4 sisters (Keren, Kimberly, Corrie and Cara) and one brother (Ross). Their parents were James Phillip and Julie Ann Bunnell. James was a Lt. Commander in the Navy and served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their mother home-schooled them and made sure that they all started violin lessons by age 5. Their father died in 2007 and three years later their mother passed away. James and Julie Bunnell are buried in Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA. Keren was the only one of legal age at the time and was able to convince the courts to grant her guardianship of her four siblings. The family live together and play at events together. 

From their website: (Editor's note, the site is no longer active.)

Keren, 25 years old; Kimberly, 23; Corrie, 22; Cara, 20; Ross, 18; bring together a rare ensemble of double bass, cello, viola, and two violins. They have played for several television stations performing as soloists with the Orchestra Nova on KPBS, Salute to Teachers on Cox Channel 4, UT-TV and KUSI News. The siblings have won awards in various competitions, including first place in the VOCE regional and state competitions and the ASTA competition in the chamber ensemble division. They are recipients of many scholarships assisting them in their studies at San Diego State University under the direction of the critically acclaimed Hausmann Quartet.

The five of them live together in the family home. Each member of the family has specific duties for their home lives, professional lives and academic lives to run smoothly. The eldest, Keren, handles the bills, plays the viola and is an accounting major.  Kimberly is the cellist of the group, the cook and “not too far away from getting two bachelor degrees at San Diego State University in Music Performance and Public Administration.”  The next eldest at 22 is Corrie who uses her music composition education to do the musical arrangements for the group, as well as playing violin and acts as the quintet’s leader. Next in line is 20 year old Cara who is one of the violinists and is a college junior. The youngest and only male is Ross who plays the bass, provides some of the humor and is carrying a double major of political science and music. 

The genealogy:

When I turned to the database to see if the family was there, I found three James Phillip/Philip Bunnell pages with conflicting information. After sharing them with Keren, we were able to determine that there are likely two James Phillip Bunnells; one born in Maine who married Joan Viemeau and had two children, and Keren’s father who was born in California and married Julie Ann Modzelewski. The third James Phillip was also her father but contained only minimal information. The pages were updated and the five children added to the database. James Phillip Bunnell, father of this musical group, is 380091 in the database.  The children are 390107 thru 390111. The quartet’s lineage is: William¹, Benjamin², Benjamin³, Benjamin⁴, Isaac⁵, Isaac⁶, Clark⁷, Isaac⁸, Charles⁹, Edward¹⁰, Ellwood¹¹, Gene¹², James¹³, Bunnell Strings¹⁴.