Melvina C. Cook, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1843, and five living children are the result of this union: Anna M., Harvy G., Cleo Pearl, Benola A. and Etta B. Mr. Fetterhoff affiliated with the Republican party, and was quite active in political affairs. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church from 1866 to the time of his death, and was held in high esteem by its members. Mrs. Fetterhoff joined the church at the same time with her husband, and is a noble Christian woman. The father of Mrs. Fetterhoff, Samuel Cook, was born in Pennsylvania and died in that State when about forty-four years of age. Her mother, whose maiden name was Miss Mary Ann Beaver, was also a native of Pennsylvania, and died in that State when forty-six years of age.
Francis M. Finch, owner of the Walnut Grove Stock Farm, four and a half miles south of Ames, is a native of Michigan, and the youngest in a family of seven children born to Charles B. and Isabel (Harford) Finch, natives of the Empire State. Francis Finch's brothers and sisters are named as follows: Marcellus, Samuel, Daniel, Charles B., Olivia and Eloisa. His grandfather, Moses Finch, was of ' English descent, and the latter's parents were early settlers of New York. Moses Finch was the father of eleven sons and two daughters, nearly all of whom he outlived. He was a carpenter by trade, as were many of his sons. Removing to Indiana at an early day, he later went to Michigan, then to Wisconsin, and finally to Minnesota, where he died about 1860, at the advanced age of nearly one hundred. Charles B. Finch was born about 1788, and served in the War of 1812, receiving a wound during that struggle that eventually caused his death, He moved to Indiana and thence to Michigan at an early day, and being a carpenter by trade, was one of those employed in building the first capitol building of Wisconsin. Charles Finch was a shoemaker as well as carpenter, and made shoes for his own family. He worked several years in Indiana and Michigan at the carpenter's trade, and built a hewed-log house for Gen. Harrison at what was then called South Bend of the Ohio River, in Southern Ohio. In Milton, Wis., he built the Milton House for Joseph Goodrich, and also a large hotel at Madison, Wis., being an excellent workman. Francis M. Finch grew to manhood in the last-named State, and was married there in 1860 to Miss Mary Watt, daughter of Samuel and Catherine Watt, natives of Scotland. In the fall of 1860 he left Wisconsin for Iowa, and landed in Cambridge, Story County, Iowa, where he engaged, in teaching school. He received a good education in Wisconsin, which has served him to good purpose at all times. He purchased land, and has followed agricultural pursuits ever since, although he has given his special attention to the raising of blooded horses. For the past ten years he has kept from eighteen to twenty-five horses on his farm at all times, and has some splendid animals. Although he has not been prepared to develop them, they are as well if not better bred than any in the county, dating back to Bashaw, Morgan and Hambletonian and Blackhawk, and are selling at fancy prices. To Mr. Finch's marriage were born seven children: Charles J. (superintendent of the great tin mines of the Black Hills ),Calvin B., Annie Bell (now Mrs. Mahlan Sims, of Story County), Marcellus, Leila, Francis and Ella. Mr. Finch comes of Whig descent, but is a Republican in politics.
Joseph A. Fitchpatrick, attorney at law, loan and abstract agent, and vice-president of the First National Bank at Nevada, Iowa, belongs to one of the representative families of this county, having been born in Washington