My Genealogy Hound

Andrew Fink, an early settler of Franklin County, is the son of Conrad and Dorothea (Voitlein) Fink, both natives of Bavaria; he was born in 1784, and she about eighteen years later. When a young man the father served for three years under the great Napoleon. The father was a millwright by trade, but, owing to exposure while in the army, died comparatively young; the mother died in 1843. Two years later their five children came to the United States. Our subject was the youngest of this family, and was born in Bavaria in 1832. He was educated in the common schools of Germany, and after coming to this country learned to read and write the English language by self-study. After working at New Orleans and St. Louis for some time he came to Franklin County in 1851, and preempted fifty-one acres of land. The same year he married Miss Elizabeth Gorg, a native of Bavaria, born in 1831, and began life with limited means. They purchased a little log store, with a stock of goods valued at $180, on twelve months’ credit, and made this their home as well as their place of business. Soon after, he purchased some second-hand furniture at St. Louis, but the boat failed to put them off, and he never heard of his goods. To his marriage were born thirteen children, eight of whom are now living, viz.: Amelia, Andrew F., Julia, Martin L. G., Matilda, William B., Ida A. and Frances. All the family are members of the Lutheran Church, and are much respected citizens. During the war Mr. Fink was captain of Company C, Fifty-fifth Missouri Enrolled Militia, and lost nearly all of his possessions during that memorable struggle. He was a Democrat before the war, but since has been a Republican. He is well known and much respected throughout the county, and has held several offices with credit to himself and to the people—from 1858 to 1863, deputy sheriff, and deputy assessor six years, notary public eight years, and is now holding that position. He has been a resident of Franklin County for thirty-six years, has a farm of 555 acres, and is accounted an honest, thrifty farmer.