Cornel was raised on a cattle ranch north of Sandpoint with his parents and four siblings. He graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1974. Cornel studied veterinary medicine at North Idaho College and the University of Idaho. He left college and married Kim Luckey in 1976. He worked in the lumber and logging industry until 1981 when he became the manager (and now owner) of the Sandpoint Army Surplus Store.

Cornel and Kim have three children and 16 grandchildren. Cornel was saved in 1975 and has been involved in the teaching ministry for three decades. As a young Christian, he was mentored by Jess Whetsel, and he found great joy in joining him in ministry at KCC, where he is active in teaching and occasional preaching. Cornel has been an elder at Kootenai Church since 2014.