John H. Fink Obituary

JOHN H. FINK PASSED AWAY SUNDAY LAST -.  Was Pioneer of East Kootenay District – Suffered From Accident Sustained Few Years ago in Kansas City While On Trip East.

            Death came to the relief of Mr. John H. Fink at the St. Eugene hospital at 5:50 Sunday morning, after a period of suffering lasting over several years.  He had been in that institution some seven months, but had been more or less an invalid since 1927 when, at Kansas City, Missouri, he was severely injured while alighting from a street car and was struck by a passing automobile.  From this accident he partially recovered, although his life was despaired of at the time.  At his bedside when the end came were his brother Jake, his nephew Vincent, and his brother-in-law, A.H. DeWolf.

            The name of John Fink was linked with much of the early history of both East and West Kootenay.  As far back as 1892 he opened a store at Ainsworth, on Kootenay Lake, running it for over a year.  This he sold to H. Giegerich, now of Kaslo.  He came to Fort Steele in 1897 and purchased the American store from Johnston & Santo, the name being then changed to the Fort Steele Mercantile company.  After about a year, a branch was started at Wardner, and in 1898 the Cranbrook store was started, which is now the Fink Mercantile Co., Ltd.  His brother, J.P. Fink, became interested with him in these later ventures.  He then disposed of his interests here and returned to Spokane and went on the road for the J.A. Folger company of San Francisco.  In 1927 he made a trip east to visit a sister then living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but who has since passed away.  It was on this trip he met with the accident before mentioned.

            He was born at Piqua, Ohio, on August 27^th, 1864, making his age 66 years at the time of his death.  He came west to Spokane in 1887, and at different periods was interested with the Lindsay Mercantile company, the Sloane-Paine-Richmond company, and the Inland Brewing company, and for a time travelled for the A. Schilling company.

            The late Mr. Fink was a most genial and loveable man.  A good companion, a better than average athlete in his younger days, a man with a fund of good stories and having the knack of telling them well, keen in business dealings, he was a favourite wherever he was and people were only too glad to enjoy his friendship.

            Of his immediate relatives he leaves his brother Jake, a sister, Mrs. A.H. DeWolf, and his step-mother, who resides at the DeWolf home.

            The body was taken to Spokane on Tuesday for interment, where it will rest in the family plot alongside that of his father, who died about eight years ago.  His brother accompanied the remains.  The funeral there will be from the Hazen-Jaeger chapel, and will be under the direction of the Spokane lodge of Elks, of which deceased was a member of many years standing.  A short funeral service was held here Tuesday at noon at the MacPherson undertaking parlor, Rev. J.C. McLean-Bell officiating.  The pallbearers to the train were Messrs. W.F. Attridge, W.E. Worden, W.S. Santo, J.A. Arnold, Joseph Jackson and Wilfred Haynes.