One does not need to look far within our Klein community to see the influences of our German heritage. In the mid-1800's, German immigrants came to Texas seeking to escape the social and political upheaval of their homeland. They were hard-working and law-abiding people who set down roots in their new country. Two different Kuehnle families came from Germany to North Harris County, Texas, in the Klein area, which originally was called Big Cypress. One family came from Wittenburg, Germany. The other family came from Kichenkirnberg, Germany.
John, Rosa and Katie Kuehnle immigrated to America in 1875. They were followed in 1879 by their sister and brother, Tillie and Jacob. In 1883, John returned to his home in Wittenberg, Germany to bring his parents, John and Mary Ann, and younger brother and sister, Fritz and Christina, to America. They bought 20-30 acres of land north of Houston in what is now the Silverdale subpision.
As the Kuehnle children grew up, they migrated to the Klein community and purchased their own land. In 1900, John Kuehnle, Sr. died. His wife joined her children in the Klein area. The Bammel & Kuehnle General Merchandise was built in 1915 near the present corner of 1960 and Kuykendahl. The store became the center of the Bammel Forest subpision until the late 1950's.
The Eichenkirnberg Kuehnles can be traced back as far as 1730. Only three children of this family came to Texas. These three Kuehnle children married three Krimmel children. The Krimmels came over from Germany around 1845. They were from Albshausen near Braunfels, Germany, the town for which New Braunfels, Texas is named.
John Kuehnle married Phillippina Krimmel. They had ten children. They lived on what is now FM 1960, across from where Wal-Mart on Walters Road stands. This Kuehnle family old home was sold and moved over on Kuykendahl Road across from Strack Intermediate School. It is now known as the Music Rack. Jacob Kuehnle married Catherine Krimmel. They lived north of the corner of Spring Cypress and Klein Cemetery Road on what is known today as the old Ehman place. Rosina Kuehnle married Konrad Krimmel. They had seven children. They lived on the old Krimmel homestead. The old house has been sold and moved up around Magnolia, Texas. Rosina and Konrad are buried in Trinity Lutheran Klein Cemetery.
