Finn

Wilhelm Finn was born 21 June 1810 in Grosswallstadt, Unterfranken, Bavaria to Wilhelm Finn and Barbara Thrier. He arrived in New York in the 1830s and married Dorothea Beck 23 Apr. 1839 at St. Nicholas, the first German National RC church in America. They lived in Kleindeutschland, the German speaking part of Manhattan that we know as the Lower East Side and had three children, all baptized at St. Nicholas, as follows:

Mary Eve (1840) Veronica (1842) Caroline (1843)

Dorothea apparently died after the birth of Caroline and Wilhelm married Augusta Mosbach in 1844 and they had two children: Alfons (1846) Alois (1848). Neither the marriage nor the baptism of their two children are in the records of St. Nicholas. Most likely they are in the records of the German National church of Most Holy Redeemer which opened in 1844, one block north of St. Nicholas.

In August of 1854, Wilhelm bought a farm in Fosters Meadow, on the north side of Merrick Road in Springfield and moved his family there. Mary was born in 1856 and baptized at St Boniface and William was born in 1858.

Wilhelm died 31 Dec 1872 and Augusta 21 May 1905. They were buried at St Boniface.

The three oldest children never established roots in Fosters Meadow and moved west upon reaching adulthood. The remaining four children were:

  1. Alfons was a carpenter in the Town of Jamaica. He married Mary Seidler (b.c.1852) of Brooklyn in 1873 and they had two children:
  1. William A. (b. 29 Sept. 1873) married Rose? (b. Dec.          1872) around 1893. He initially worked as a carpenter with his father but soon became an architect. After WW I he went to work for the Internal Revenue Service, first as a Revenue Collector and then as a Customs Inspector. William and Rose had two children:

Lawrence b. June 1895 was an electrician.

Gertrude b. Aug. 1897 was a telephone operator.

  1. Joseph b. Aug 1875 married Gertrude Germs of Fosters Meadow in 1896. For additional information on Joseph, pleases refer to the Germs family history on this website.
  1. Alois was a farmer on Central Ave. near the boundary between Valley Stream and Fosters Meadow. He married Franciska März (March) at St. Boniface on 3 Sept. 1872. She was born in Williamsburg on 15 May 1851, the daughter of Johan März and Maria Eva Geis and was baptized at Most Holy Trinity in Williamsburg. They had five sons, all baptized at St. Boniface:
  1. Louis Michael was born 13 Sept. 1873. He married Catherine Kiesel, born 10 Mar 1888, at St. Boniface on 4 Feb. 1908. She was the daughter of Martin Kiesel and Catherine Zimmer. Louis was a truck farmer on Central Ave. Louis and Catherine had thirteen children:
  • Marie Catherine 1908-1992
  • Joseph Michael 1909-1995. He married Rose Christine Diemicke
  • Alois Martin 1911-1938
  • Francisca Marie 1912-1984
  • George Henry 1914-1982. He married Clara Muller
  • Anna Rita 1915-1966
  • Elizabeth Clara 1917-1990
  • Bernard Charles 1918-2009. He married Rose Iervolino @ St Ignatius Loyola in Hicksville
  • Edward Louis 1920-2013. He married Mary Iervolino @ St Ignatius
  • Bertha Louise 1922-1924
  • Ann Margaret 1923-1996. She married Harry Schoppman @St Ignatius
  • Albert Francis 1925-2014. He married Margaret May @ St Killian in Farmingdale
  • Catherine Rose 1926-

                 Louis died in 1952 and Catherine in 1956.

                 Both are buried   at St Boniface Cemetery                                                                                                                                                          

  1. Michael William Finn was born 28 Jul. 1875 and worked his father’s farm on Central Ave. In 1929 he married Emma C. Voight (b. 1891) at St Boniface. She was the daughter of Charles Voight and Mary Schwallenberger. They had no children. Michael died in 1950 and Emma in 1957. They are buried at St Boniface Cemetery.
  2. William was born 1 Aug 1877 and was a truck farmer, where Franklin Square meets Valley Stream. He married Christina Kreischer (b. 10 Jun 1886) at St Boniface. She was the daughter of John Kreischer and Pauline Keller. They had three children:
  • Michael was born in Dec. of 1909 but was no longer alive at the 1910 census taken in May of that year.
  • Herbert William was born 27 Jan. 1913 and married Martha O’Rourke of Lynbrook. He died in 1978 and is buried at St Boniface Cemetery.
  • Dorothy Eleanor was born 1 Dec. 1917. She married Daniel Cronin at Holy Name of Mary in Valley Stream.
  1. Joseph Alois was born 4 Oct. 1879 and worked his father’s farm. He died 22 May 1902 and is buried at St Boniface.
  2. John Emil was born 3 Dec. 1882 and married Marie Theresa Rottkamp 14 Feb. 1911 at St Boniface. She was born 27 Nov 1887, the daughter of Henry Rottkamp and Theresa Wulforst. John worked on the farm on Central Ave. and took it over when his father retired. John and Marie had five children:
  • Henry M. was born 5 Apr 1912 and married Eileen Jones 30 Dec. 1936. She was the daughter of James Jones and born 2 Jul. 1908. Henry was a farmer on Central Ave. He died in 1986 and she in 1994.
  • Marie K. was born 9 May 1914 and died 25 Apr 2003. She is buried at St Boniface.
  • Rose was born 1 Apr 1916 and married Henry Joseph. He was a farmer in North Valley Stream and then Farmingdale. Henry died in 1987 and Rose in 2012. They are buried at St. Boniface.
  • Vincent was born 20 Dec 1917 and married Evelyn Muller 15 Jan 1941 at St Ignatius Loyola in Hicksville. He was a farmer in Valley Stream. She was born 16 Feb 1916, daughter of Frank Muller and Magdalene Schmitt. Evelyn died in 1974 and Vincent in 1988.

John Emil died in1955 and Marie Theresa in 1983. They are buried at St Boniface Cemetery.

 

       Franciscka March Finn died 13 Dec. 1882 and Alois married Philippine Hummel 5 Jun. 1883 at St Boniface

     . She was born 27 Jul. 1854, the daughter of George Hummel and Franziska Speigelhalter.

       Philippine died 27 Dec. 1906 and Alois 1 May 1931. He and both of his wives are buried at St Boniface.

 

  1. Mary was born 2 Feb 1856 and married Joseph Imhoff (b. 1861) on 26 Nov 1885, son of George Imhoff and Rosina. Joseph was a metal dealer and they lived in Rosedale. They had two children:
  1. Anna Josephine was born in 1891. Apparently, she did not marry, and little is known about her life.
  2. Joseph A. was born in 1893 and worked as a carpenter. He married Clara, also born 1893 and they lived in Rosedale. He died in 1970 and she died in 1984.
  1. William was born in June 1858 and married Mary Morgenthaler (b. June 1860) 12 Aug. 1879. She was the daughter of Max Morgenthaler and Maria Muller. According to his neighbor, Robert Sappelt ,who kept extensive journals, both Robert and his father had to provide bail for  William a number of times. William tried farming but eventually became a laborer for others. William and Mary had nine children:
  1. William M.       1880
  2. Catherine        1883
  3. Alfred              1886
  4. Augusta          1889
  5. Charles           1891
  6. Alois               1894
  7. Mary                1896   
  8. Josephine      1899
  9. Oscar              1902

In 1905 Mary left William and took her children to Cedarhurst. William died in a fire where he was living in Jamaica in 1928. He was buried at St Boniface.

 

Submitted by Paul Hoffman: pwh115@optonline.net

With family input from  Katherine Finn and 

Nancy Calder nac3cald@yahoo.com 

 

February 2020