Tracking the Finkbeiners

This is the Michigan-Finkbeiners'day. Gary is one of them, and he has planned this day for us. He hands out to us his leaflet "Finkbeiner Road" containing today's itinerary; a short history of Johannes and Friedrich Finkbeiner and their offspring in this part of Michigan; a list of 70 relevant sites; detailed maps.

Caledonia, Michigan

Liz Finkbeiner. The baby is just a doll

At the "American Legion Post" #305 we meet Reginald Finkbeiner. He has come from Crediton, Ontario, where he brought on its way the Second International Finkbeiner Reunion. Liz Finkbeiner is dressed as a pioneer woman from the mid-19th century. She draws behind her a small wooden cart, painted in many colors, the miniature version of a cart as used by the first settlers.

The Barber School Museum

Liz shows us the one-room school; around 150 years ago, schools of that type were founded all over the place.

Looks like a church, somehow

Some of us squeeze into the narrow benches. The women who do needlework admire the embroidered sample book with its nice appliqués. A plastic apple on the teacher's desk reminds us that every pupil had to bring a daily apple to school for the teacher. The School Museum was established with funds from the Bicentennial Program.

The Vintage Blacksmith Shop

We meet Liz again. She is sorry that none of the amateur blacksmiths of the village has the time right now to show us the smith at work. A wooden board hangs from the ceiling with the years 1838 - 1888 - 1988 burnt in. They refer to the constitution of the "township" Caledonia (1838) and of the "village" Caledonia (1888) and to the centennial and sesquicentennial respectively.

Twin Pine Farm

Twin Pine Farm. Sign to the farm

Robert and Amy Finkbeiner have invited us to lunch on the farm. They've spread long tables under trees (the weather being splendid again). All the family help out: Amy and her daughter-in-law prepare dozens of hamburgers and bring along many pitchers full of beverages; Rob takes care of the youngest grandchild; John shows us around the farm. It is an average farm of about 160 acres. A third of the ground belongs to the family, two thirds are rented. Among the 300 cattle there are 110 milch cows and 25 cows with young. Basically it takes only John and his brother Larry to run this highly rationalized farm; two men come to help in the evenings. As a thank you for the guided tour and for the hearty lunch we - that is mainly our singing quartet - offer a few songs. When we get to Muss i denn zum Staedtele hinaus, the Americans join in as well.

Finkbeiner Road

Here is the whole group

A group picture at this road sign is a must. "Finkbeiner Road" exists since 1932, when the electrical power company asked for roads with names instead of roads with numbers. And as so many Finkbeiners were living on that road anyhow...

Middleville, Michigan

Once there existed eight Finkbeiner businesses in Middleville, none is left.

Mount Hope Cemetery

A Finkbeiner grave. Just one of many Finkbeiner tombstones

Many Finkbeiners and their relatives are buried here, also Gary's father Rodney Finkbeiner (1928-93), who was very active as family historian. There is a monument honoring the Middleville citizens who died in World War I, among them Gary's great-uncle Arthur C. Finkbeiner, who was killed in Alsatia. We like the spacious cemeteries (we'll see more), where the graves are simply covered by lawn and where ancient trees abound. We wonder at the many gravestones that bear names and dates not only of the dead but also of the living who expect to lie here.

Leighton, Michigan, Hooker Cemetery

Gary takes us to the burial-place of the ancestors of most of the North American Finkbeiners, namely Johannes Finkbeiner (1820-74) and his wife Regina, née Wuerth (1821-87) and the widow of Johannes' brother Friedrich, Regine, née Mast. The latter's grave was not marked until August 1997, when, on the occasion of the 104th Annual Johannes-Friedrich Finkbeiner Families Reunion, a tombstone was dedicated. Calico George, iFriedrich and Regine's fourth child, lies here as well. His nickname alludes to the poor immigrant's ragged clothing that was held together by cheap calico patches. His cousin Henry is remembered for the loss of two horses in the 1890s: in the wake of a tempest they disappeared in quicksand along today's Finkbeiner Road.

An evening at Leighton United Methodist Church

At the new community center we meet Ken Gackler again. We learn that the predecessor church was torn down to make room for this imposing new building.

Leighton United Methodist Church. An impressive community center

The costs - $1.2 million - were mostly defrayed by the church members, but a mortgage was raised as well. The collect should amount to $4-5,000 every Sunday to cover maintenance and payment of the debt. But with Grand Rapids spreading more and more, the community is growing.

Sucking pig. The experts cut up the pig; Friedrich is at the center

Dinner is composed of a substantial mixture of American and German specialties. Friedrich has seen the pig on the spit, he regrets that the crisp and juicy crackling is thrown away. Lore feasts on sauerkraut. Marie Finkbeiner was in charge of the kitchen; she took part in the 1995 meeting at Baiersbronn as well. The musical program is mainly religious songs, performed to the accompaniment of guitar or piano or orchestra (taped!). "Our" quartet is also called to the stage. We may take along as souvenirs the small American flags that decorated the tables.