Warrenville 2021 Cemetery Walk Part 3

As we post our final two scripts from our 2021 Cemetery Walk we want to again thank all of the people who made this event possible, including the City of Warrenville’s Tourism and Arts Council Grant that supported music at our event this year. We hope you enjoyed us sharing the scripts this year and we are already looking forward to 2022! If you’d like to help with this event, please contact us at info@warrenvillehistorical.org.

Harry Knell Junior 1919-1990, presented by Dennis Knell

Harry Knell, Jr. was born here in Warrenville on January 5, 1919, not even two months after the end of World War I, which was known as the Great War at that time. The world was changing, but Warrenville was still a rural, small community.

Harry’s great-grandparents, Jacob and Katherine Knell came to the United States from Germany. His grandfather Julius Knell was born in Michigan and in 1886 married Julia Krause, who was also an immigrant from Germany. Julius worked as a construction iron worker until he left that job in 1910 and began working as a merchant in the general store business. He and Julia had two children, Henry Senior and Helen. At that time the family was living on South Hoyne Avenue in Chicago.

In 1912, the opportunity arose for Knell family to purchase the Warrenville General Store at the corner of Batavia and Warrenville Road. The store had been a staple in the downtown area of Warrenville since the community’s founding in the 1830s. In order to stay close to the store Julius bought the house across the street on Batavia Road, the former Leonard Funeral Home that is now Clean & Cute Pet Grooming. The family sold the store to John Petit in 1915.

Corner of Batavia and Warrenville Roads looking east, circa 1928

In 1913, Harry Senior married Anna Heiling in Milwaukee. She was an immigrant from Austria who had lived in Minnesota and who had been working as a pressor in a Tailoring House in Chicago. They had eight children together. When the moved to Warrenville, they built a Sears Craftsman Home at the corner of 4th and Main Streets.  The prefabricated pieces of the Sears home came by train to Winfield and Harry picked it up with a rented horse and wagon to bring it to Warrenville for assembly. The Knell family moved into his home in 1922 and the home is still standing today.

The Knell children grew up in Warrenville attending Holmes School and riding the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad to attend High School in Wheaton. In 1940 Harry Jr. married Virginia Homer and they had two children, Harry III and Joanne.  Harry Jr. served in the Navy during World War II and came back to live in Warrenville and work in Chicago as a welder. Harry Jr. along with his wife, and her sister Lee and her husband Vern bought the Half Moon Tavern in St. Charles on the corner of Randall Road and North Avenue. Harry Jr. and Vern also opened a construction company together building houses. In 1957 Harry Jr. and his family moved to California seeking a better life, but after a year they moved home, terribly homesick for Warrenville. Harry Jr. continued to build houses, including building one for his own family on 4th Street, that still stands. The talent of a good craftsman is an art all its own and Harry had the gift of the trade. Harry Jr. retired from Geneva Cabinets in 1970. After retirement Harry Jr. and Virginia moved to Greenview Avenue on the east side of Warrenville and Harry enjoyed gardening, fishing trips and playing cards.  

From the Warrenville Digest June 1983

Harry Jr. passed away on June 21, 1990. His life was celebrated with a funeral mass at St. Irene’s Catholic Church. Although he is buried in Chicago near Virginia’s family, his spirit lives on in the Knells that still call Warrenville home today.

Dennis Knell presenting Harry Knell, Jr.

Alice Renouf, presented by Cindy Renouf with music by Katie Kostner

Alice Elizabeth Held Renouf was born on August 18, 1909 in Hamilton, Ohio. She spent much of her childhood surrounded by music, which she credited for her musical career. She came to Chicago to prepare for a career in the opera. She studied at the American Conservatory of Music and the Girvin School of Music and trained with Maestro Vittorio Trevisan of the Chicago Civil Opera where she sang lead soprano.

Alice married Rolfe Renouf and the couple moved to Warrenville in 1935. She and her husband Rolfe had three boys, Nicholas, Phillip and Tige. Rolfe worked as an architectural engineer, in charge of many projects for civil government, military, industry and commercial and educational buildings. He used his many talents to build their own home on Renouf Ave, on the north side of Warrenville.

Alice was a charter member of the Warrenville Women’s Club, a past president of the club and its Music Scholarship Chairman for many years. Alice also used her musical talents teaching voice and piano and hundreds of Warrenville and area youngsters benefited from her musical abilities. She loved her students and was proud to teach for over 40 years. She was piano and voice teacher to Senta Moses, a Warrenville resident that went onto become a Hollywood actress.  

Alice was also active with the Agape Children’s Center at the Community Baptist Church. She was active in the PTA when her boys were at Holmes School and Wheaton Central. She was also a member of the Illinois School Music Teachers Association.  Alice was also extremely active with the DuPage Symphony and other musical activities around DuPage. She was a kind, caring and very extraordinary woman.

To watch the full (but dark) performance by Katie, check out her Facebook page. Thank you again to the City of Warrenville’s Hotel Tax Fund Grant for funding this performance.