Eva Finkle (1870-????)

PREVIOUS POSTS IN THIS SERIES:

Burton Finkle (1868-1909)
William Finkle (1866-1948)
David Finkle (1844-1915)
Eliza Jane (Pemberton) Finkle (1844-1927)
Sarah Maria (Pemberton) Morrison Jones (1851-1941)

To continue my series of posts on the subjects of my RootsMagic database cleanup, this post will focus on Eva Finkle. Eva was the third child and oldest daughter of David Finkle and Eliza Jane Pemberton. Eliza was the younger sister of my third great-grandfather, John Pemberton. As I clean up the source citations and events for individuals in my database, I am posting about them here (actually, I've cleaned up several people since Eva, but I'm way behind on blog posting about them). I've been toying with the different formats for these blog posts, so this one may be slightly different from ones in the past. 

FUN FACTS ABOUT EVA FINKLE

• Eva was probably born Mar 1870 in Algonac, St. Clair, Michigan. My source for this is the 1870 census, which lists her age as 2 months and her month of birth as March. Her age of 10 in the 1880 census supports this birth date.
• The 1900 census gives her age as 28 and her birth date as Nov 1871. The 1910, 1920, and 1940 censuses support the Nov 1871 birth date, as they give her age as 38, 48, and 68 respectively. The 1894 State of Michigan census also supports a Nov 1871 birth date. It gives her age as 22 (official census date was 01 Jun 1894). However, all this being said, we know she could not have been born in 1871, as she appeared in the 1870 census.
• The 1930 census gives her age as 57, suggesting a birth date between Apr 1872 and Mar 1873. Her marriage record gives her age as 29, which suggests a birth date of c. 1872.
• The 1884 State of Michigan census gives her age as 13, suggesting a birth date between Jun 1870 and Jun 1871.
• All census records agree on a birthplace of Michigan, and her marriage record specifically states that she was born in Algonac. This is where her family was enumerated in 1870, when she was listed as a 2-month-old infant.
• The 1899 St. Clair County directory lists Eva as a dressmaker who lived on Plank Rd. in Marine City with her parents.
• Eva Finkle married Thomas P. Leslie on 18 Dec 1901 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan. She was a 29-year-old dressmaker born in Algonac who lived in Port Huron. He was a 30-year-old marine engineer born in Canada who also lived in Port Huron. He was the son of John Leslie and Susan McLeod. They were married by E. Rushbrooke, Pastor. According to the 1902 Port Huron city directory, Emanuel Rushbrook was the pastor at Nancy Howard Mission (Baptist) located at 1929 11th St.
• The 1902 city directory lists her as Mrs. Eva Leslie who rooms at 913 Elmwood. No mention of Thomas Leslie is made.

View Larger Map
• Thomas and Eva appear in the 1910 census in the home of Eva's parents on River Road in Port Huron Township. Thomas was a 37-year-old born in Canada and an engineer on a lumber boat. His immigrated in 1888 and was naturalized. Eva was a 38-year-old born in Michigan.
• There is a Thomas P. and Eva Leslie living at 619 E. 1st St. in Grays Harbor, Washington, in the 1913 city directory. Thomas was an engineer for Independent Sand & Gravel Co. I don't know for certain if this is my Thomas and Eva Leslie. I don't have any other evidence that they ever left the Michigan. More research needs to be done.
• In 1920, Thomas and Eva are found in Sandusky, Sanilac, Michigan, which is about 50 miles northwest of Port Huron. Both were 48 years old. Thomas was a farmer born in Canada. His immigration date is given as 1886 and his naturalization date as 1896.
• In the 1926 Port Huron city directory, Thomas and Eva are listed at 1824 10th Ave. Thomas was a sailor. Judging from it's location in the street directory, it appears to be near the site of a present-day bank (or maybe the liquor store next door).

View Larger Map


• In Eva's mother's obituary from April 1927, their residence is given as Sandusky.
• In the 1930 Port Huron city directory, Thomas and Eva are found at 633 11th St. His occupation was marine engineer.

View Larger Map
• For the 1930 census, Thomas and Eva were enumerated at 2109 Willow St. in Port Huron. He was 58 and she was 57. He was a stationary engineer for the water works.

View Larger Map
• The next few years of city directories puts them at several different addresses


• 1931:  1754 Scott Ave.

View Larger Map
• 1933: 1214 Sedgwick

View Larger Map
• 1936:  1125 11th Ave.

View Larger Map
• 1938:  1125 Willow St.

View Larger Map
• 1940: 1519 Poplar St. (Thomas is listed alone)

View Larger Map


• Thomas's occupation as a stationary engineer for the water works remained the same, however.
• In 1940, Thomas and Eva were enumerated at 827 Sedgwick in Port Huron. Thomas was 70 years old, and Eva was 68. He was still listed as a stationary engineer for the water works. The house would have been where the trees and private gate are to the left in this pic below. I believe they have knocked the house down to build condominiums that are behind the gate.

View Larger Map
• In the 1946 Port Huron city directory, Thomas is listed alone with no occupation at 709 Fort St., where the empty lot is today. The householder listed in the street directory for 1946 is William H. Hurd. In the 1940 census, Wm H. Hurd is listed as a 76-year-old born in Ohio. His wife, Sarah, age 77 , was born in Canada. They had a lodger named Daniel H. Wood, age 68, born in Michigan. No occupation is given for any of them. I do not know if they have any connection, or they simply liked to take in boarders, since they had one in 1940 as well.

View Larger Map
• I do not have any death information for either Thomas or Eva. I've looked at an online transcription of the St. Clair County Death Index from 1940 onward, and I can't seem to find them. The 1946 city directory, a recent discovery, helps me to narrow down a possible death date for Eva (c. 1940-1946). 
• Thomas does not appear in the 1950 Port Huron city directory, so that helps narrow down a possible death date for him as well (c. 1946-1950).
• It's also possible that Eva and Thomas divorced between 1940 and 1946, though unlikely, considering their age.
• It's possible that Thomas did not die between 1946 and 1950, but simply left the area. However, considering his age, it's likely that he died.
• I need to do more research in the city directories to fill in the gaps on missing years. They seemed to move around a lot.I have only done my research in online directories. I need to check out the ones on FHL microfilm and at the St. Clair Co. Library in Port Huron.
• I also need to check Sanilac County death records as well. They seemed to spend at least a few years in Sandusky and may have died there as well.
• In all the records I have found and searched, I have never come across any records for children of Thomas and Eva. It appears that they did not have any children.