The Stencel surname is believed to be derived from a given name, Stansell or a variant of Stanisław. It is not a particularly rare name for this reason. In some records even in the late 1800s, the name has been found spelled Stancel. To complicate matters, the family came from a German occupied region of Poland so a Germanized spelling, Stenzel, is also seen. All variations are pronounced in much the same way. Those not familiar with the name might even be inclined to transcribe the name Stengel, where the descender of a script ‘z’ causes it to be mistaken for a ‘g’.
Photo of some guests with Mary (nee Kolaski) Stencel at what is believed to be her 25th wedding anniversary celebration in 1937. Her sisters are in the photo but the others are not known.
The bride is Mary Stencel and the groom is Ignatius Stencel. The picture is from September 1912. The other people are not identified although the man on the left might be one of Ignatius' brothers.
