The earliest date found in the BENDEL family was the birth of Johannes Bendel, born on December 12  in 1743 in Magenhaus, Germany. He was the son of Johan Georg Bendel of Magenhaus and Kunegunde  Zant from Hillershof. Both Johannes and his father were farmers in this southern German region of  Wuertenburg near Lake Constance (Boden See). Magenhaus is a small village nestled between the  larger cities of Ailendorf and Waldsee.
      Johannes's grandson Karl was a baker and tavern owner in Tettnang (just south of Magenhaus).  In 1884, Karl sold his business and came to America with his wife (Maria Wacker) and four children  (Maria, George, Karoline, and Elizabeth), settling on a farm just outside London, KY. In 1889,  Karl's wife Maria and daughter Elizabeth returned to Germany to live out their lives. Besides  farming, Karl and George were carpenters in London, KY.
      My sister and brother traveled to the Lake Constance region of Germany to visit Dieter  Stehle, my dad's 2nd cousin, to see the area where the Bendel Family originated. I still have one  of the crates that the Bendel family used to pack their belongings in when they emigrated to  America.