John Michael Fink was known as “Michael” by family and friends.

The following is taken from the “brief” in the case of Sarah Fink, widow of John M. Fink-alias Michael Fink.

John M. Fink served in the Tennessee Militia, entering the service Nov. 13, 1814 and served to the 13th of May, 1815. The soldier died on the 16th of August, 1843 in consequence of the disease of Rheumatism of many years standing. Lewis Roberts who is certified to be a credible witness testifies that he was well acquainted with Fink–who served in the same Company of Tennessee Militia – (Capt. Landen’s) with him in the War of 1812. That they were mustered into service at Knoxville, Tennessee in November 1814, and were marched south to Mobile — and at Fort Strother on the Coosa River in the Alabama Territory – he Fink contracted the disease of rheumatism – his knees and anchles (sic) becoming so much swollen – as to compel him to use two sticks as canes – to enable him to get along – especially in the return home. He was left behind at Lookout Mountain – in consequence of his inability to travel – and did not reach home ’till sometime after the return of Roberts. He continued to be acquainted with Fink – from the time of his return ’till he died – that he was always badly afflicted with the disease of rheumatism – and grew worse by degrees ’till the time of his death.

George Carr, who is certified to be a credible witness, served in Capt. Landen’s Co. with Fink and fully corroborates the testimony of Lewis Roberts going however more into detail of the hardship and exposures of the service. He states that they were marched in the middle of winter – through an almost unbroken wilderness in the Alabama Territory – wading through rivers & creeks – frequently plunging into swamps – which seemed to be endless and at night having little or no protection by way of tents from the inclement weather – with sleet and rain usually pouring upon them. And when they reached Mobile they were not much better protected. That peace was declared soon after they reached there – and they were ordered home for discharge – the homeward march was almost as difficult as the march out – whilst the men from the previous fatigue and exposures were less able to bear it. Carr marched along close to Fink in the Company – and knows that he was so much crippled up with the rheumatism that he scarcely got along. When they reached Lookout Mountain they were obliged to leave him there to rest and recomit his health sufficiently to enable him to reach home. He continued to know him well (they were neighbors) through life – and that he never recovered from his disease that as he grew older the violence of the disease increased upon him – frequently confining him in his last years to his bed for months at a time. He saw him frequently and knows that he died in August 1843 of his disease.

Dr. Isaac Dolen who is certified to be a physician of reputable standing in his profession testifies that he knew Fink for some years, previous to his death, and knows that he was afflicted with Rheumatism – and that some seventeen or eighteen years ago – he was called on professionally to attend him – and found him in great suffering from his complaint. His limbs were drawn up – joints distended and he exhibited every appearance of a person who had suffered from the disease for many years. He applied the normal practice in such diseases, but of no avail. For after giving him professional attention for some two or three weeks he died of his disease.

Sarah was awarded the government pension of $4.00 per month from Feb. 5, 1861, but never received anything. She reapplied and was later granted $8.00. Sarah signed her papers with her “mark”. John M. died in 1843 and Sarah’s address remained Kendrick’s Creek, Sullivan Co. Tenn. until at least 1868.

At the time of his death, he owed 320 1/2 acres of farmland that was inherited by George, his oldest son and then handed down to his sons.
Today, Dec. 1996, Orville, age 89 still lives on his 21 acres. His brother Henry sold his 21 acres about 10 years ago and moved into town.

The death cert. of daughter Margaret shows that both John M. and wife Sarah were born in Tennessee.

On the military record #374 he is listed as Michael “Finch”, of the 4th regiment (Bayles’), East Tennessee Militia, War of 1812, Private, card number 38512342 of the Captain James Landen’s Company, Col. Samuel Bayles’ Reg’t. East Tennessee Militia. While the remainder of his military files would indicate that he went by Michael Fink, leaving off the John. He was on Captain James Landen’s Company payroll from Nov 13, 1814 to May 18, 1815, for a period of 6 months and 5 days. For this service he received $8.00 per month, or $49.33 for the total service period. John Michael later hired an attorney and went after the govt. for not paying him for the service in the War of 1812.

John M. Fink
Landens Company

to: Power Atty

John McAlister

[Nathan]
So you don’t have any info on Jacob K Sr (1820-?) after he moved to Greene County? I have him in the 1860 US Census, but nothing after that

[Don]
No, we don’t have much on him.  Here’s what we figured out though.  Don’t know if it’s actually correct, but here’s our best guess.  I’ll try to keep it brief.

I don’t remember whether or not we found him on the 1860 census or not.  I’ve spent hundreds of hours probably, looking at census records.  I just don’t know right now if I found him.  Maybe we did and that’s how we knew where he went when he left Kendrick’s Creek.  John Michael Fink and Sarah Pickens Fink had 12 children.  2 died before age 1 and 1 never married.  That left 9 to produce descendants.  Dale wonders (wondered) why almost all the children left Kendrick’s Creek and never returned.  I told him that it was because, as was custom at the time, the oldest male inherited all the property of the father.  That meant all the other boys were left out of any inheritance of property on which to farm.  That one boy that inherited every thing was Dale’s great grandfather George..  (Dale had never considered that)  George Washington Fink was the first male born that survived.  My great grandfather Robert Jefferson Fink was the 12th child and he left there the first time when he was around 20 yrs old.  I believe he moved to Missouri with his older brother Michael Anderson Fink.  I believe your 3rd great grandfather Jacob K. Fink moved south to Green Co. with his younger brother Samuel Creg Fink.  Strangely enough, the other Fink’s that live in Kansas descend from Samuel Creg Fink.  In my research I learned that my great grandfather Robert lived in 2 or 3 different places in Kansas after before settling in Arkansas. Actually they bounced around Kansas & Missouri and finally settled in Arkansas.  My grandfather mentioned visiting relatives in Kansas as a young boy.

Obituary
Marvin Fink Obituary – Salina Journal – Fink 121309

Newspaper announcement of 50th wedding anniversary.  12-27-1937  Lawrence, KS

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kirkpatrick Fink of route one celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Saturday, December 25, at the home of their son, Edwin E. Fink, and family, 917 Tennessee Street.  Thirty eight guests were present at the dinner, these including the eight children of the guests of honor and their families.

Gifts and messages of congratulation were received during the afternoon, which was spent with reminices and music.  Guests weated at the main table were Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Fink and their sons and daughters, seated in the positions which they occupied when they were chidren at home.  The table was centered with a four-tiered wedding cake topped by a bride and groom standing under a golden wedding bell, and flanked by tall golden tapers.  Additional guests were seated at quartet tables placed thruout the living rooms.  A line party at the Granada in the afternoon was arranged for younger members of the party.

Members of the family present were George Harrison Fink of Salina;  Mr. and Mrs. P. Everett Sperry and family of Lawrence;  Emmett L. Fink and family of Topeka;  J. Dewey Fink and family of Alamosa, Colo.; Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Netherland of Topeka;  Mrs. Ruth Sawyer and son, Daniel Dean, and Jacob Kirkpatrick Fink, jr., of Topeka.

Additional guests were Alonso Brummitt of Hays, nephew of Mr. Fink, Mrs. Fink and their family.

Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Fink were married January 22, 1888, at the home of the brides parents in Oxford, Ark.  Mrs. Fink was Martha Elizabeth Gibson.  In 1900 they came to Kansas and settled at Fairport, in Ellis Co., later moving to Logan county.  They moved to Lawrence in the spring of 1928, buying the property on North Michigan street adjoining that of their daughter Mrs. Sperry, where they live at the present time.  Seven of Mr. and Mrs. Fink’s eight children are or have been teachers in rural schools, high schools or colleges.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kirkpatrick Fink of route one celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Saturday, December 25, at the home of their son, Edwin E. Fink, and family, 917 Tennessee Street.  Thirty eight guests were present at the dinner, these including the eight children of the guests of honor and their families.

Gifts and messages of congratulation were received during the afternoon, which was spent with reminices and music.  Guests weated at the main table were Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Fink and their sons and daughters, seated in the positions which they occupied when they were chidren at home.  The table was centered with a four-tiered wedding cake topped by a bride and groom standing under a golden wedding bell, and flanked by tall golden tapers.  Additional guests were seated at quartet tables placed thruout the living rooms.  A line party at the Granada in the afternoon was arranged for younger members of the party.

Members of the family present were George Harrison Fink of Salina;  Mr. and Mrs. P. Everett Sperry and family of Lawrence;  Emmett L. Fink and family of Topeka;  J. Dewey Fink and family of Alamosa, Colo.; Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Netherland of Topeka;  Mrs. Ruth Sawyer and son, Daniel Dean, and Jacob Kirkpatrick Fink, jr., of Topeka.

Additional guests were Alonso Brummitt of Hays, nephew of Mr. Fink, Mrs. Fink and their family.

Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Fink were married January 22, 1888, at the home of the brides parents in Oxford, Ark.  Mrs. Fink was Martha Elizabeth Gibson.  In 1900 they came to Kansas and settled at Fairport, in Ellis Co., later moving to Logan county.  They moved to Lawrence in the spring of 1928, buying the property on North Michigan street adjoining that of their daughter Mrs. Sperry, where they live at the present time.  Seven of Mr. and Mrs. Fink’s eight children are or have been teachers in rural schools, high schools or colleges.

Story told by his son Wilson Fink

William Jefferson Fink was married with one child. His wife died and he married Mary Robinson. They had seven more children. Five of those children and Mary died from mushroom poisoning. They are buried in Arkansas. He moved to Hays, Kansas with the two remaining children – Ezekiel and Charles. He heard of Mattie Gibson’s husband’s death (they were neighbors in Arkansas). She had three children – Myrtle, Roy, and Lehman (Pete). William sent her a letter proposing marriage. She accepted by letter. He was plowing with a team of horses when the letter came and he decided to wait until evening to read the letter (he enjoyed the suspense). When he was ready to read the letter, he found he had plowed it under sometime during the day. Next day he plowed backward and uncovered the letter. They had five more children – Ernest, Annabelle, Stanley, Mary, and Wilson.

Obituary

William Jefferson Fink was born near Greenleaf [actually Green County], Tennessee, March 1859 and departed from this life in St. Anthony’s hospital in Hays, March 3, 1935. He came to Kansas when a young man. He was married to Mary Robinson and 7 children were born to this union. Wife and 5 children departed this life. In 1905 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Mattie Gibson, who had 3 children by a former marriage. He was a kind father to these children, and to this union 2 daughters and three sons were born, Mrs. Lloyd Sawyer, residing in Fountain, Colorado, Mary, having passed away in September 1931, Earnie, Stanley and Wilson all of Monument, Ezekiel of Codell and Charles of Paradise. One brother and sister were not able to be here on account of ill health. He leaves 8 grandchildren besides other relatives, and friends. He professed faith in Christ in 1910. Peacefully sleeping, resting at last. The world’s weary troubles and toils are past. In silence he suffered, in patience he bore, ‘Till God called him home to suffer no more.

Mattie’s first husband, John Wesley Gibson, died young at 33, and she remarried William J Fink. So you’ll also find a number of her children from her fist marriage listed under their last name of Gibson too.

Daniel Kneale was a weaver living at the Kew in Germain. In 1778 he married Christian Shimmin and had 5 children.

John eldest son of Daniel was baptised at German 6th March 1782. He was a farmer and weaver at the Kew, German.

John married Elizabeth Kermode at Marown in 1815 – They had 10 children (the list that you got from the other man, Lionel C., is correct) John, Jane, Paul, James, Catherine (this is your C Vondy), Eunice Ann, Margaret, Elizabeth, Robert and Daniel.

Elizabeth died at the age of 50 and buried at German on 8th March 1843.

Elizabeth, the daughter of John & Elizabeth Kneale married William Kelly from nearby Ballig in 1854 (as stated on the head stone). She was a minor at the time of her marriage and was married “with the consent of her friends” both of her parents being dead.

John Kneale senior married for the second time to widow Ann Clacas (formerly Fell) at Partick in 1844. John died in 1854 leaving a will and was buried at Peel Cemetery in Kirk German.

Benton Church Cemetery

Forest City Union Cemetery

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