Louis Joseph and Caroline Amelia Rothe Finger

Louis Joseph Finger, born March 15, 1870, was the eldest of ten children of Joseph Finger* (1843-1917) and Mary Ann Enderle (1849-1921). Known as “Joe”, he was of the first generation born in this country. His grandparents, Francois Joseph* (1816-1886) and Regina Zürcher (1818-1882) Finger, emigrated with their only child, 4-year old Joseph, from Oberentzen, Alsace, France, in 1847. They came with colonist Henri Castro to settle the fourth and last of his colonies, D’Hanis.

They acquired land south of D’Hanis on both the Parker and Seco creeks, believed to be about 20,000 acres. Son Joe inherited approximately 2,000 acres on what is now FM-2200 (D’Hanis-Yancey road) and County Road 5232, Deer Creek Road. Both the Parker and Seco traversed his land.

Caroline Amelia Rothe was born March 21, 1876, the second child of Johann Friedrich "Fritz" Rothe* (1838-1916) and Maria Caroline Reuter (1854-1941). Known as “Lina”, she was born on her father's ranch on the Seco Creek about 10 miles north of D'Hanis. Her father, with three brothers and a sister emigrated with their parents Heinrich Rothe* (1793-1872) and Emilie Wurzbach (1815-1854), from Warmensteinach in northern Bavaria in 1854.

Louis Joseph, whose family was Catholic, and Caroline Amelia, from a Lutheran family, married on June 22, 1897. They built a home on a rocky hill about 300 yards east of the Parker, where they also built barns, large cattle pens, a windmill, and concrete reservoirs to store water. This was five miles south of D’Hanis. Their first three children were born at the ranch.

In 1907 Joe and Lina bought 114 acres on and south of Old Highway 90 (now CR 5216) from August and Theresa Brown. Once known as the Jacob Wolff Homestead, the home was on a lane leading from Old D’Hanis to the forming new town, about a quarter mile south of the highway. Living there, their children could easily get to the new St. Anthony School. Five more children were born there.

At one time they owned a meat market in town, which Joe ran. Joe once served on the school board. He is remembered as attending church regularly, but he never went on Christmas Eve, as he listened to the Pope’s midnight mass on the radio. He loved having the family for Sunday dinner; he was easy going and never upset, and never argued.

Caroline brought music into the home, playing the piano. All three daughters became skilled piano players, learning from the Sisters at St. Anthony School. Some of the boys learned to play the piano as well, though none carried that into adulthood. One daughter went on to a career in music teaching.

Lena became ill in 1935. Descendants at the time of this research (2003) are unclear as to what her ailment was. It may have been a back problem, maybe a fall involved. Or, she may have suffered from a tumor, even cancer. Some remember that she had surgery at the Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio. It supposedly was called successful, but she never recovered. Her mother sometimes came to help mend clothes and do some other housework while she was ill. On August 14, 1936, after several months of enduring the back pain and some weeks confined to bed, she died at age 60. She is remembered as a giving and loving person who never raised her voice and was very close to her children.

Joe spent his life as a rancher, running cattle on his ranch south of D'Hanis. In the later years of his life, his sons, primarily Clemens, ran his ranch. Son Clemens, and for a while daughter Stella and her husband Martin Ney, lived with him. He continued to live in the home until his death on March 5,1947. He and Lena are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in D'Hanis

Joe’s approximately 2,000 acres of Finger ranch lands south of D’Hanis were left to sons Clemens, Maurice and James, Maurice receiving the ranch house, barns and pens. Of the 114 acres in town twenty were given to son James on his marriage in 1935; the remainder, including the home, was willed to their son, Joseph. Their inherited Rothe ranch lands, which were north of D’Hanis and Hondo, were bequeathed to daughters Johanna, Verene and Stella, and son Joseph.

Lena gave birth to eight children, raising seven to adulthood. They spoke German in the home. Only some time after the eldest started school did they learn English also.

The children of Louis Joseph and Caroline Finger were:

Clemens Frederick Joseph, born April 3, 1898 on the ranch; died in San Antonio December 9, 1995 after an auto accident in D’Hanis and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in D’Hanis. His biography appears in this book.

Johanna Marie Finger was born March 28, 1901 on the ranch. She helped raise the other children, especially caring for the ill baby, Louis, before he died. She entered the convent at Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio at age 20, both parents reluctant to have her leave home. After a gathering of friends and relatives for a goodbye party, Papa, Mama, sisters Verene and Stella took her to San Antonio to the convent. She became Sister Mary Damienne of the Sisters of Divine Providence, and spent her life teaching piano at many Catholic schools throughout Texas and Oklahoma. In her sixties she learned guitar in order to teach that as well. This writer remembers that she greatly enjoyed her vocation, as her disposition was always happy and outgoing. Sister Damienne died at the convent in San Antonio on June 30, 1993, and is buried there.

Maurice Joseph Finger: born March 29, 1904 on the ranch; died March 29, 1996 in a nursing home in Hondo. Married Julia Lillian Wernette (born October 17, 1905) January 14, 1925; they lived most of their lives in Skidmore, Texas. Both are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in D’Hanis. Their children are Norma Lee (August 8, 1929 and Maureen Elizabeth (November 13, 1932).

Louis was born July 1, 1907, and died April 25, 1908, after an extended illness. It is no longer remembered what the illness was. Someone thinks it may have been influenza or pneumonia, another remembers that he could not keep anything on his stomach.

James Charles: born November 1, 1909 in D’Hanis, died July 18, 1945 in Chicago of cancer. Married Bernice Marcella Carle October 24, 1935. Their biographies appear in this book.

Joseph Fritz: born January 19, 1912 in D’Hanis; died November 10, 1989 in San Antonio of a heart ailment. Married Leona Henrietta Poerner (born August 16, 1918) September 6, 1937 in El Paso. He is burried in Holy Cross Cemetery in D’Hanis. Their children are Carolyn Mary (December 22, 1939), Joseph Henry (October 7, 1946), Louis James (October 11, 1948) and Jane Alice (April, 30, 1956).

Verene Maude: born December 4, 1915 in D’Hanis; died February 22, 2005 in Hondo. Married Thomas Pipkin Riley Barlow (born April 5, 1921) February 28, 1942. She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in D’Hanis. Their children are Jonathan Riley (January 28, 1944), Thomas Leslie (November 14, 1945 and James Rothe (June 1, 1950).

Stella Caroline Finger was born February 20, 1918, almost 20 years after her oldest brother. She married Martin Horace Ney (born July 10, 1915) September 26, 1940. They settled in Old D'Hanis where they raised four children. Martin died February 28, 1971, Stella on July 1, 2005. They are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery. Their children are Patrick Joseph (October 5, 1942), Audrey Jean (December 21, 1944), Martin Horace, Jr. (October 17, 1947), and Mark Henry (January 30, 1950).

*Biography appears in Medina County History, Volume I.

By James Reily Finger