Lawrence FINKE

                   Obituary
Mathilda Finke

Mrs. Mathilda Pauline Finke, 71, West Burlington (IA), Rt. 1, was dead on arrival at Mercy hospital Saturday, Nov. 23.

She was born Feb. 12, 1897, at Latty, IA, the daughter of Fred and Elizabeth Remmer (Roemer) Scheihing. Jan. 3, 1950, at Hubbard, she married Lawrence Finke.

Mrs. Finke was a member of Grace Lutheran Church.

Surviving: The husband; two daughters, Mrs. Robert (Dorothy) Hoscheck, Burlington, Mrs. Leslie (Virginia) Gerling, Mediapolis, and Paul and Eugene Luttenegger, both of Burlington.; two step-sons, Willett Finke, Danville, Clifford Finke, Columbus Junction; one step-daughter, Mrs. Carl (Pauline) De Fosse, Burlington; 26 grandchildren; two great grandchildren; two sisters, MRs. Russell (Emma) Walker, Burlington, Mrs. Ray (Julia) McAllister, Whitten.

Services: 2 p.m. Tuesday, Elliott-Lunning chapel, Rev. arno Frerichs; Prairie Grove cemetery.

In the Kirchenbuch is the notation that she was confirmed "Deutsch," meaning in the German language, as were five others on that Palm Sunday, while two were confirmed "English."

In Zion's Centennial: Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church, Latty Iowa, 1853-1953 is the following description of the language tension in the Zion Church:

"1906 - Membership reached 135 and then began to wane. It was a time of transition from German and its attendant customs. Up to now the pastor had acted as Sunday School Superintendent. The Church Council sat in a group near the pulpit. The men sat on one side of the aisle and the women on the other. The transition was far too slow. The Sunday bSchool was reorganized in English except for one class."