CHURCH RECORD SUNDAY ~ The confirmation of Elwood, Dorothy & Delphine Fink–1926 & 1933 in Buffalo, Yew York

Front of confirmation program - Elwood Fink & Dorothy B. Fink

Church confirmations.  We don’t hear as much about this subject today as we did when I was young.  Of course it depends on the denomination or religious group your family was associated with.  Different groups, different traditions.

The confirmation record I have featured today is for my husband’s mother, Dorothy B. Fink and her oldest brother, Elwood “Al” Fink.  The two names were already circled when we located this record among Dorothy's belongings, after her death. 

The two siblings, who were one year apart in age, Al being the oldest, were confirmed on 28 March 1926.  That would have made them 13 and 12 at the time of their confirmation.  The confirmation program states that Rev. Paul Langhorst was the Pastor of the church.

I have a lovely picture Al & Dorothy on the day of their confirmation.

 

I don’t have any record of the confirmation of the two younger Fink siblings, Willard & Delphine.  I should ask cousins Tammy or Tracy if they have those records.

UPDATE - After I had already finished this post, I did hear from cousins Tracy and Tammy.  Tracy was able to provide the confirmation program and certificate for Dorothy & Al's little sister, Delphine "Honey" Fink.  She was confirmed at the same church, by the same Pastor on Palm Sunday, 9 Apr 1933. 

Of note: There are two other family names on the list of children being confirmed on the same day as Delphine.  Elmer Ernst & Robert Henry Doller.  These boys were 1st cousins to Al, Dorothy & Delphine.

Here is the program front & list of names

And, here is the certificate for Delphine

I do know that Uncle Al, whom I met in his later years, was a Christian man, who followed his faith.  Dorothy and her husband, Gordon, joined a Methodist church in San Diego in 1956.  I have Dorothy’s Bible here at our house.  Delphine's Bible resides with her family.

 

A little bit about Rev. Paul H. Langhorst.  He was born 27 Jul 1881 in Ohio.  His parents are both stated to be born in Germany (several census records give that place).  According to his World War I draft registration card he was tall, with a slender build, brown hair and eyes.  He married a woman named Emma before 1910 and they had several children.  He was President of the New York District of the Evangelical Synod of North America.  He was installed as the Pastor of the Bethlehem United Evangelical Church in Buffalo, New York on 22 Jun 1925.  He died, according to a death notice published in The Newark Advocate, on 22 Feb 1945.

• Do you have church records for your ancestors?  What do they tell you about their lives? 
• I wonder, did the whole Fink family go to church every Sunday? 
• As members of a church, would their be baptismal records available for all of the Fink children?  I need to follow up on this.

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Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOROTHY FINK HALL ~ My husband’s mother–born this day in 1913

Dorothy Beatrice Fink was born on this day in 1913 in Buffalo, Erie, New York.  She was the second child born to Heinrich “Henry” August Fink and Freada Emma Meta Doller.  Dorothy had an older brother, Elwood and two younger siblings, Willard & Delphine “Honey.”

She and her family moved to San Diego, California in 1935.  At age 23 she met and married Floyd O. “Ted” Brown in 1937.  There were no children born to that marriage and they divorced in 1944.

On 22 Jul 1945 Dorothy was 31 years old and she enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  This was just months prior to the end of World War II.  She was honorably discharged from military service 5 Apr 1946. 

On 22 Aug 1948 at age 34, Dorothy married Gordon Charles Hall in Lynwood, Los Angeles, California with her sister Honey and brother-in-law Marion Nelson Long as witnesses.

Gordon and Dorothy had one child, a son, Ronald. 

Dorothy and Gordon enjoyed a comfortable life with their young son, until Gordon’s sudden death of a heart attack, on 12 Jan 1966.  He was only 48 years old.

Dorothy provided a loving and stable home to her son.  She eventually became the grandmother to two young boys.

 

I knew Dorothy for only four short years prior to her death in 1993.  She is remembered by her family as a loving mother and grandmother.

Happy birthday Dorothy.  We all still miss you, especially your son.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

SURNAME SATURDAY – FINK

CHURCH RECORD SUNDAY - Baptismal Record for Dorothy Fink

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2017 Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FRIDAY FINDS ~ Baptismal record for Heinrich August Fink–1893–Buffalo, New York

Heinrich August Fink is my husband’s maternal grandfather.  He was known throughout his life as Henry August Fink.

This discovery came today when I did a search on Ancestry, from my tree, for Henry August Fink.  This is something I do on a regular basis.  I’ve made lots of great finds this way and today was no exception.

I discovered the record collection U.S. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940.  This collection is new to me and I wonder if I’ll find other records contained in it?

What I found was this indexed record:

Name:    Heinrich August Fink
Event Type:    Baptism
Birth Date:    14 Jan 1893
Baptism Date:    24 Jun 1893
Baptism Place:    Buffalo, New York
Father:    Geo Fink
Mother:    Barbara Ludwig
Church Name:    Grace
Church Location: Buffalo, New York

I did a little genealogy happy dance and then proceeded to download the image, save it to my computer and then source & enter it into Legacy.

I had already located, some time ago, a birth record for “Baby Fink” born 14 Jan 1893 to George & Barbara Fink.  I was fairly certain this was our Henry, but not 100% sure.



If you look at the baptismal record you will see that the birth date is exactly the same, 14 Jan 1893, as that of the Baby Fink birth record.  The parents must have waited until the baptism to name the baby.  The baptism took place 6 months later.

Here is a close up of the entry on the baptismal record



Combining the birth record, baptismal record and death certificate (which lists Henry’s birthdate), I have the 3 records I always like to have to conclude that the date is correct.

Heinrich “Henry” August Fink was born in Buffalo, Erie, New York to George August Fink and Barbara Ludwig.  He grew up in Buffalo and I have him enumerated in the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 census records. Note to me:  find him in the 1940 census.

On 8 Oct 1911 Henry married Freada Emma Meta Doller in Fort Erie, Welland, Ontario, Canada.  To this couple were born two sons and two daughters: Elwood Reynolds (1912-1997), Dorothy Beatrice (1913-1993), Willard Henry A. (1916-2008 and Delphine Irene “Honey” (1919-2011.

Here are the four Fink siblings in 1936. 

Willard & Elwood are standing in the back and Dorothy and Delphine are kneeling

I had the pleasure of knowing all four of those children, as adults.  They were my husband’s mother and her siblings.
 
In 1935, Henry moved his wife and children to San Diego, California.  They all went to work at General Dynamics/Consolidated Aircraft, becoming the largest family group to work there.  An article was written in the San Diego Union about this family group.  A photo was included in the newspaper article.  I don’t have the article, but I do have the photo (below).

Left to right are: Floyd “Ted” Brown (first husband of Dorothy Fink), George Brown (brother of Floyd), Willard A. Fink, Elwood R. Fink, Dorothy Fink Brown, Delphine Fink Long and Henry Fink.



Henry Fink died on January 17, 1954, at the age of 61.  He left a loving family to grieve his loss.
 
Henry is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in San Diego, California.  You may visit his memorial on findagrave #31820256.  (The FindAGrave website is down right now and I cannot create a link to his memorial).

If you think you might be related to anyone mentioned in this blog post, please contact me.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

SURNAME SATURDAY – FINK

VITAL RECORDS - How to Request Them and Keep Track of Those Requests

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

CHURCH RECORD SUNDAY–Gordon & Dorothy Hall

Dorothy & Gordon Hall were my husband’s parents.  They joined the Rolando Methodist Church in San Diego, California on 25 May 1956, “publicly confessing Jesus Christ as Lord & Saviour.”  Signed by George M. Hayle, Pastor

Dorothy & Gordon Hall with their son, Ron in Niagara Falls - 1955

Happy hunting,

Copyright ©  2010-2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

CHURCH RECORD SUNDAY–Dorothy Fink Baptismal Record

Dorothy with her older brother Al

Dorothy circa 1954

 

Dorothy Beatrice Fink, born 7 Nov 1913 in Buffalo, Erie, New York

Baptized on 17 May 1914 

Daughter of Henry August Fink & Freada E. Doller

Married Gordon Charles Hall on 22 Aug 1948, San Diego, San Diego Co., California

Mother of one son, still living

Died 6 Oct 1993, San Diego, San Diego Co., California

Yesterday as I was going through a metal box that had belonged to my husband's mother, I found a treasure that was folded up at the bottom.  You just never know what you will find and I certainly didn't expect this to be at the bottom of the box with old bank records and deeds.  

Here's the box.  One more note.  If you'll notice the name of the baking company from Buffalo - it's HALL Baking Company.  Funny, because after Dorothy moved to San Diego she married Gordon Hall.

An old metal box with many treasures

And what was the treasure I found?

Dorothy's baptismal certificate from May 1914

I just love finding items like this.  I’m going to frame this one and hang it in my office with other special documents.

Happy hunting and I hope you too find lots of precious keepsakes,

Michigan Girl

Copyright © 2014 Diane Gould Hall