Piqua Daily Call

January 6, 1936

Jacob Wendel

Many Piqua friends were saddened today to learn of the death of Jacob Wendel, 79 years of age, member of a pioneer Piqua family, which occurred Sunday night at Portland, Oregon, where he had resided since leaving here 17 years ago. For the past year Mr. Wendel had been afflicted with a heart condition that caused his death.
Mr. Wendel, who was the son of the late Abraham and Fanny Friedlich Wendel, highly respected and leading citizens of Piqua during their lives, was born in this city on January 29, 1856. He lived until the last of this month he would have celebrated his eightieth birthday. He completed his education in the Piqua schools and entered the jewelry business, established by his father. He was born in the old Wendel homestead on Sycamore street, 80 years ago, then one of the outstanding residence sections of the city. Later the family removed to 512 Caldwell street and finally bought the property and erected the residence at 600 North Downing street, now the home of C. F. Ridenour.  The Wendel Jewelry Store was one of the most flourishing business houses in the city in its day but during the war, Mr. Wendel's children having located elsewhere, he decided to dispose of it and retire, which he did about 1917. Since then he and his wife made their home in the West.  Besides his widow, who before her marriage was Miss Flora Fox of Cincinnati, he leaves two sons, Sanford Wendel of Los Angeles, Calif., and Harold Wendel of Portland, Oregon. A daughter, Mrs. Simon Kleiner (Regina Wendel) of New Haven, Conn., and five grandchildren, also survive.  His elder son, Sanford Wendel, visited in Piqua only last week en route East where he is now.  Mr. Wendel was the last of a family of four sisters, Helen, Bertha, Rose and Sadie, and a brother, Sam.  Funeral arrangements were not contained in the telegram announcing his death, received this morning in Piqua.  Mr. Wendel was a charter member of the Piqua Lodge of Elks, having joined the lodge when it was instituted in 1899.