The children of Margaret and John

Sarah Ellen Finke
          Neither Sarah, the eldest child, born April 1846, nor Anna, the youngest daughter, born March 1849, ever married. They were both teachers, Sarah for seven years at Thomson, Ill., seven years at Leclaire, Ia., and some years at Savanna (27 years in all) and Anna for an undisclosed number of years. They took care of their parents in their (the parents’) last illnesses, and they took care of their uncle, my great great grandfather Jeremiah, in his.
           After their parents died (1895), they had planned to go to Chicago (where their sister Lucy was living) to run a boarding house, but Sarah came down with typhoid, and was told she could not live in the city, so they stayed in Savanna - which was fortunate for my gggrand, whose own children were scattered, and anyway not on terribly good terms with him since he divorced their mother.
           This is a letter written by Sarah to my Great Grandfather James - I think it shows her mettle.

Savanna, Nov. 24, 96
Dear cousin James
Your welcome letter received by your father. He wants me to answer it for him as he is so clumsy now about holding his pen. He is here in Savanna, will remain with us all winter until the cold weather will be gone again and no danger of his taking cold. We brought him home on the 12 of last January we could not leave him with Emily to suffer after his hard fit of sickness neither could Anna or I stay there. we have home duties. so then ? when he was able on Jan 12. John took him to the cars he staid there until middle of May. then he went down to look after things. Anna went to Chicago rented a house for the purpose of keeping roomers. I was to follow later and in the fall your father was to come too. but unluckily I was taken dangerously sick with typhoid fever when I lay very low for two months. anna had to break up and come home. I had shipped part of the goods and broken up. The M. E. minister came down to my home and took me up to his home. thinking I would soon recover but I became so sick Anna and Lucy were sent for Anne brought back the goods. Dr. said I could not stand the city water. so here we are I am not very well. your father came back the 1st of October he is stronger than last winter we think he failed over the loss of mother. You know she was a true friend to him. She asked us on her dying bed to be kind to him. How I miss father and mother no one can tell. I am glad you sent the check for the $250 it will help him with taxes which will have to be paid by March. I wish he could sell his property and take what little money he has clear and put it some where not a single relative can use it keep it for the purpose of paying expenses in sickness and death. some provision ought to be made. he earned his money himself and foolishly disposed of the greater part of it by his second marriage. now what little will be left enough ought saved for sickness and death. Jeremiah has his will I tell uncle he made a great mistake in giving it to him. he is only located in Iowa and never sees fit to write. - or answer my letter written last winter. You are the only one of his children who seem to care how he gets along. You will get your reward. no matter what the past was or who was to blame he is your father. we remained with our parents and did what we could for them to make life happier now your father is with us and we will do what we can for him. times are very hard with us but he shall not suffer. he feels the neglect of his children his own flesh and blood. if they have no money to send him. they surely could write to him he does not say very much. but he is very down hearted often, he has chills every once in a while and when flighty he calls for each one of his children. my heart aches for him some times. Did you receive the bible he sent you? he want to go to visit you next spring wants Anna to go with him. Come and see us when you can. Give my love to all. tell them to write. they will not have long to write to him I remain Sarah Fink

          Their lives were pretty quiet and unremarkable on the surface. Sarah died before 1910, and Anna in 1927 (although I haven’t been able to find her in the 1920 census). They are buried in the family plot in the Savanna Township Cemetery.

1846 April - born
1850 census - with parents in Savanna
1860 census - with parents in Savanna
1870 census - with parents in Savanna
1880 census - with parents in Savanna
1900 census - with sister Anna in Savanna
             1900 Illinois - Carroll - Savanna 1st w p. 232 (SD3, ED 23, Sheet ?) - 21 5th St 98-104
               Finke, Sarah head wf apr 1846 54s Il Pa Ire
                         Anna sister Mch 1849 51s
19xx - died - buried Savanna Township Cemetery

Lucy A
1847 September - born
1850 census - with parents in Savanna
1860 census - with parents in Savanna
1870 census - with parents in Savanna
1873 September 22 - married John Q Wing in Carroll County
1876 October - daughter Florence A born (Illinois)

In 1880 she and her family were in Davenport, Iowa, and her brother John, a lawyer like her husband John, was living with them

1880 Iowa - Scott - Davenport (LDS site)
Wing, J Q mw31 Ny Eng Ny lawyer
Lucy A 31 Il Pa Ire
Florence A 3 Il Ny Il
Fink, John E b-in-law mw 27 lawyer

John died before 1900, and for that census, Lucy and her daughter Florence, who was (or became) a doctor - Wow! - were living in Chicago.

1900 Illinois - Cook - Chicago 13th W West Town (SD1, ED403, Sheet 9) p. 59a
Wiing, Lucy A head wf Sep 1847 52 wd 1ch/1liv - Il Pa Ire
Florence daughter wf Oct 1876 23s

By 1910, daughter Florence had been married and divorced, and had her husband’s son living with them.

1910 Illinois Cook Chicago 3rd Wd (SD1, ED233, Sheet 1) p. 176a - 3607 Prairie Ave7-7
Rego, Florence A fw 33d 0ch/0liv Il Ny Il physician general practice
Wing, Lucy A mother fw 62 w 1ch/1liv Il Pa Ire
Rego, John D son (adopted) 4/12? unk unk unk

Lucy is not in the index for 1920. Daughter Florence was still in Chicago.

1920 Illinois - Cook - Chicago - SD1, ED1311m Sheet 14a - 16 Jan - l. 5 -
Rego Florence head rents fw43 wd Il Ny Il physician hospital
John D son mw 11s Il Portugal Il

Lucy and her husband are supposedly buried in the Savanna Township Cemetery, but there are no dates on their stones (and I couldn’t find the stones anyway). She was alive in 1913 when the biographical entry about her father was written.

Anna

Anna was born in March 1849, and like her older sister Sarah, she became a schoolteacher. Also like Sarah, she never married, and she helped take care of their parents and, later, of their uncle, my great great grandfather Jeremiah.

After their parents died (1895), they had planned to go to Chicago (where their sister Lucy was living) to run a boarding house, intending to take Uncle Jeremiah with them. However, Sarah came down with typhoid, and was told she could not live in the city, so they stayed in Savanna.

1900 Illinois - Carroll - Savanna 1st w p. 232 (SD3, ED 23, Sheet ?) - 21 5th St 98-104
Finke, Sarah head wf apr 1846 54s Il Pa Ire
Anna sister Mch 1849 51s

1910 Illinois Carroll Savanna 1st wd (SD4 Ed11 Cheet 3a) p. 111a? - 5th St -
Fink, Anna head fw 61s Il Pa Ire own income

William Henry and James H
I think William and James were twins, born in 1850 and named after Margaret's two brothers. The only information I have on them comes from the gravestone, which is difficult to read. From what I can tell, the birth date for both of them is 1850, and the death date for William is 1852 and for James either 1850 or 1852.

John
John must have been a precious child to them, having been born after the death of their two little twin? boys. He was at home for the 1870 census, but must have left soon after for law school at the University of Michigan. In 1880, he was living with his sister Lucy and her husband, also a lawyer, in Davenport, Iowa. He married not long after that, probably in 1881, and moved up the river to Clinton, Iowa. He is in the city directories for that city from 1883 on. He apparently died between 1920 and 1930.

1852 August - born
1860 census - with parents in Savanna
1870 census - with parents in Savanna
187x - attended law school in Ann Arbor
1880 census - living with sister Lucy and husband John Q Wing in Davenport, Iowa
188x - married Myrtle Unknown - settled in Clinton, Iowa (across the river from Albany, Illinois)

Clinton City Directories
1883-4
        Finke, John E, clerk, res 910 n 2nd st
1885-6
        Finke, JE, clerk res 1019 n 2nd st
1893
        Fink, John E, feed store, res 407 2nd st
1899-1900
        Fink Geo L., clk JE Fink, b 818 n 2nd st
        FINK JOHN E., Police Judge, Dealer in Flour and Feed, 407 s 2nd st, h 818 n 2nd st
        Fink Mrs JE, teacher of elocution and delsarte, b 818 n 2nd st
        Finke, Henry, lab, h 4th st cor 11th ave I am not sure who this fellow is
1903-4
        Fink, John E, Myrtle, same as 1899 (except no teaching)
        Fink, LeRoy, cond St Elec b. 181 n 2nd st
        Finke, Henry, Katherine, teamster, 1018 n 4th st l

I have found him in the 1900 and 1920 census, but not in the 1910.

1900 Iowa - Clinton - 1st Ward Clinton (69a) SE75, ED 6, Sheet 13b - N 2nd St - 818 294-301 -
Fink, JE Aug 1852 49 m19 Il Pa Ire probate judge
         Mertie May 1862 38 2ch/2liv Oh Md Oh
        George Sep 1881 18 Ia Il Oh conductor street car
        Leroy J May 1887 13 at school

1920 Iowa Clinton Clinton SD91, ED5, Sheet 17a - 21 Jan -line 20 - 826 N 2nd St
Fink, John E head owns free mw66m Ill Pa Ire lawyer general practice
        Mertie T 57 Oh Md Oh teacher public speaking
        George L son 37s Iowa Il Oh brakeman rail
        John L son 32s Iowa Il Oh engineer structural

He must have died between 1920 and 1930.

1930 Iowa Clinton Clinton SD11, ED23-7, Sheet16b - Apr 11 - 526 N 2nd Street
Fink, Mertie head 7000 fw67 wd Oh Wyo Oh
John L son mw42s Iowa Il Oh engineer structural

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contact me at : lee@leesgenes.com