Francis Finger (1814 - 1899)

Born 6 May 1814 in Nassau, Germany

Descendants

Died 15 May 1899 at about age 85 in New Albany City, New Albany Township, Floyd, Indiana, United States

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Biography

Mary J. Finger is my 2nd great grandmother. She is the maternal great-grandmother of my grandfather Herbert Breetz. She married George Loebig and they had Anna Loebig who married Henry Aloysis Breetz.

There were already 413 Fingers in the United States in the 1850 census but only 12 were living in Indiana, with all of them in Marion.

Francis Finger and his wife Mary Ann and their children Francis, John, Mary J., Peter and Adam show up in the 1860 census living in the town of Jackson in the county of Washington, Indiana. They moved to New Albany for a bit before moving back to Jackson in the 1880 census. They both, Francis and Mary, are buried in Bradford, Harrison County Indiana. All but Adam were born in Germany, Adam was born in Indiana. It is unclear at the present as to when and how they arrived. The entire first generation of the family stayed in the New Albany, Indiana area and it was not until the second generation that some of the family moved west.

The oldest son, Francis line produced three boys in the third generation. Joseph F., or Joe, was the first of our line of Fingers to move West as they moved to Oklahoma and then settled in Missouri where most of his decendents stayed. The remaining children of Francis remained in the general area of New Albany.

The second son, John, has only two men in the third generation capable of keeping this Finger line alive, both are sons of John's son, Frederick Charles.

The Mary J. Finger line, being a female line gave no hope for extending the Finger name. She did however give rise to extension of the Loebig name, but that line might be over as well.

Peter appears to have died between the 1860 and the 1870 census ending that line of potential Fingers.

The Adam Finger family has died out. Both Adam and his wife, Sophia, died in 1893 and 1892, respectively. Their two girls, Bertha, born in 1887 and Anna, born in 1889, were left orphaned by their parents' death. Bertha never married and Anna spent the remainder of her life in the St. Edwards City Hospital in New Albany as both an inmate and a cook.

As such, it's unlikely that many of the living Fingers in America are related directly to the Francis Finger who showed up in the 1860 census in New Albany.

Timeline

1860 - Indiana, Washington County, Jackson, Martinsburg Post Office
Page 2 of the census shows Francis Finger (46), wife Mary Ann (48) and children Francis (19), John (17), Mary J. (15), Peter (8) and Adam (6) living in the home. All but Adam report they were born in Germany and Adam was born in Indiana. Francis is a farmer and interestingly, daughter Mary J. is listed as a spinster. ^[1]

1870 - Indiana, Floyd County, New Albany, Ward 2, 27 Jun 1870
Page 7 of the census shows Francis Finger (57), wife Mary (58) and children John (27) and Adam (16) living in the home. All but Adam report they were born in Nassau and Adam was born in Indiana. Francis reports his real estate is valued at $5,100 and his personal estate at $1,500. Francis is a laborer, John is a wagon maker and Adam is an apprentice wagon maker.The Rokenbach family is living the same house as well. ^[2]

1880 - Indiana, Washington County, Jackson, District 177, 4 Jun 1880
Page 6 of the census shows Francis Finger (67), wife Anna M. (68) and son Adam (25) living in the home. Francis reports to be a farmer and Adam a laborer. Francis and Anna report being born in Nassau and Adam in Indiana. They are all living with the Louis Weber family. ^[3]

Burial - Indiana, Harrison County, Bradford, Saint Michaels Catholic Cemeter
Frank Finger (1814-1899) is buried here. His wife is buried here as well as another 10 members of the Finger family, including sons Frank and Adam. [1]

Sources

1. ↑ 1860 U.S. Federal Census
2. ↑ 1870 U.S. Federal Census
3. ↑ 1880 U.S. Federal Census