Finger Family NewsPage

by Dwight Finger   Send any questions, additions, or comments

2007

December 25, 2007

It's on a sad note that we end the year 2007. Elsie Thayer Fingar, wife of Roscoe Fingar, who passed her 100th year of life in May, passed away Saturday, December 22. She was a prominent attender at the 2003 Finger/Fingar Family Reunion, and can be seen in the front row in the group picture taken at that time. You may remember the certificate that was given to her by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors in recognition of her 100th birthday.



December 14, 2007

John Vanko reports that the DNA project is now open for anyone interested to join. Perhaps some didn't want to wait till next year! You can find the information on the DNA Heritage site. For updated information check the DNA Project page.



December 1, 2007

As you will see at a few places on our site, John Vanko has volunteered to organize a Finger family DNA Project in 2008. We are looking forward to learning more about how closely the various Finger family lines are related. We will post news and items of interest here on the Finger Family site as testing progresses, so 'stay tuned'. Thank You, John!



November 24, 2007

Today we have added The Life and Memory of Henry Finger (1837-1917), written in by Henry in 1896 and compiled for us by his great-great-grandson Thomas Finger. Henry was born in Germany and came to the United States in 1857.

Also, John Vanko has suggested that we undertake a Finger family DNA project. Here is part of what he said:
Recently, I have suggested to Fred Finger and to Tom Finger, descendant of Henry Finger of Willersdorf (1837), that even though they are distant cousins they might want to have their DNA analyzed for genealogical purposes.

In fact, DNA analysis of different Finger lines might show how closely, or how distantly, they are related. For instance, the Bottendorf-Wangershausen-Willersdorf Fingers are not known to be related to [our] Johannes Finger of the Palatinate. But DNA comparisons between Fred or Tom and you would indicate your most recent common ancestor.

Comparing some male descendant from the line of Peter Finger the Pioneer would also be most exciting. I wonder if Johannes Finger is more closely related to Peter Finger or Samuel Finger?

When the paper trail ends perhaps DNA can take us back further.

I indicated to John that I would be willing to participate. Only time will tell if there is sufficient interest, and who would want to manage such a project.



November 19, 2007

The database has been updated. Included with this update is information we received from Diane Ollivett-Miles, a 4th grand niece of John Tanner (b. 1787), who was married to Christina Finger (b. 1798). Along with information she provided, and some census records I checked, we now have more information on their son Ambrose Tanner and his wives and children, including having the children listed with the correct mother.



October 27, 2007

John Vanko has been in touch with us and has given us some additional information. Here is what he has to say:
I have attached an update to 'Fingers from Bottendorf to America'. It includes a discussion of Henry Finger b. 1837 of Willersdorf, the inclusion of his brother Christoph b. 1824 who settled in Boston, and the addition of vertical dots to help decypher the indented descendants list at the end.



Sept 27, 2007

This week some interesting and informative news came our way. We heard from Christopher Record, who is the g-g-g-grandson of John Finger (b. 1811). He pointed out that we had John Finger listed with his parents in one place, but listed separately with his wife and kids in another, and was wondering why. The simple answer, I told him, was that I had no documentation to show that these 2 John Fingers were really the same person. So I have now made the correction on the website.

In addition, I'll quote from Christopher:
By the way, family rumor has it that it was this very John Finger whom I discuss above who had a terrible falling out with his uncle Jeremiah and henceforth changed his name to FingAr.

This is the first time anyone has suggested what may have caused the split. Christopher told us he plans a trip to the Yates County Historical Society and will do some more research.



July 19, 2007

The Fingar family is saddened to note the passing of Lee J. Fingar. Lee was a dedicated family researcher and regular contributor to our family website. In addition, Lee was the driving force behind the very successful Finger/Fingar Family Reunion in 2003. Our condolences go to his wife Helen, and immediate family members.

You can read his obituary from the Lawrence Funeral Home.



June 13, 2007

An message arrived today from Turkey!
Hello,
My name is Sandra Finger. Currently I study and research in Turkey, but my family from my father's side, meaning "Finger", is originally from Hessen in Germany. I found a page with the registration of immigration ships saying that a Johann Finger left Hessen in 1864 for New York and I was wondering if you can place him somewhere. I know it seems rough, however for any information or links I would be more than grateful!

Greetings from Istanbul,

Sincerely,

Sandra
In my answer I told Sandra that this Johann Finger is probably not in our line, but I suggested she look at our Family Lines page and see if anything seems to connect.



May 1, 2007

The Columbia County Board of Supervisors contacted me and kindly gave me a copy of a certificate that was given to Elsie Fingar in recognition of her 100th birthday.



April 21, 2007

As a genealogist, there are, at times, entries we would rather not have to make. Larry Boddy sends us:

After a long series of illnesses, my mom died quietly April 16th in Broward Co. Florida. We brought her back to NY and buried her yesterday in a family plot next to her mom, dad, grandmother, brother and sister-in-law. She was the last of her family.
His mother was Lois Ina Fingar. Larry and family, you have our sincere condolences.



April 10, 2007

I added a link on the home page to the 1892 Ulster County Directory, page 119, which lists a number of Finger ancestors. You can also find it here on the Distant Cousin site. [No longer working, Sept, 2019 -D.F.]

Also on the links page is a link to the Finger Family of Florida.



March 25, 2007

In recent weeks, I have been in contact with Judy Finger Brown who has been sending updated information for the website. I'm still in the process of adding and verifying things, but soon the site will be updated with the added information.

But it warms the heart to be able to help others in a more personal way. Because of contact made via the Finger family site, Judy sent this message today:
I Have been in contact with Jude [Jude Holdsworth, see Feb 2] and we were able to get my father Ken and her mother Hope on the phone with each other last week. They haven't been in contact since they were very young children and they are now in their late 80s. Neat Huh.

Thanks, Judy Brown



March 4, 2007

Contributor John Vanko sent updated information to his article Fingers From Bottendorf To America. This article deals with the descendants of Samuel Finger, born before 1568 in Münden, Germany. Included is a descendancy chart.



February 4, 2007

The database has been updated today, and included are the following:

February 2, 2007

A couple of messages came this week from Jude Holdsworth, here is a summary:
Hi-

I'm a descendant of Harry Finger of Kingston, NY, son of Wesley Finger. They were owners of a dairy in Kingston, and did the bottling at the dairy - I'm trying to find the name of the dairy. Wesley was actually the owner operator of the dairy and did much of the delivery himself. Harry was my grandfather, had 3 daughters, Edna, Hope, and Jane, all of whom married, so the family Finger name was lost with his generation. My mother is still living (89) and remembers much of the family history. There is a family plot in Wiltwick cemetery in Kingston, NY...

Harry's sister Ruth died very young at around age 21 - she drowned in North Lake in the Catskill Mountains...

I spoke with my mom this AM, and she has some records I can borrow, so I will send you info when I get it. And the name of the dairy that Wesley Finger had in Kingston, NY was the Cloverleaf (or Clover Leaf) Dairy, we think on Chestnut St.

I mentioned that I have found Wesley on the 1920 Kingston census with the occupation "proprietor, dairy". Jude agreed to send us some updated information on that part of the family for the site.



January 4, 2007

Another year has passed and we are at 9 years on the world wide web, which is considered a long time in web years.

Larry Boddy sent us an updated picture of the store that his grandparents, Hugh and Myrtle Fingar operated in Coram, New York (Long Island) from about 1934 into the 60s. It can be seen along with the account of Hugh's life.


Other Years' NewsPages:

1998   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2008   2007

2009   2010   2011   2012   2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2019   2020   2021 (current)