Averill Van Aken and Sarah Sturgess his wife

Bert in his Ford We're not sure if Bert and Bertha's boarding house was in Livingston Manor, but maybe some of these pics will give you a clue. We know that at some point they moved to Guilford, NY. Bert did work in a lumber yard - I won't have the pic until my sister Linda visits next month. My dad told stories of Bert having to take the chickens to the rabi to be killed in a certain manner and blessed to become kosher for some guests. I guess he learned to kill them in the correct way and sometimes never made the trip all the way to the rabi! My family provided musical entertainment and dances on the weekends. Bert played the violin, my grandmother played the piano, etc. My father was very close to Bert and continued to visit even after my g grandmother, Bertha left him. In later years, Bert lived with a gentleman named Ed Haberly in Guilford until his death.

My g grandmother Bertha Fetz Myers VanAken feeding chickens The parents of Bertha Fetz Myers VanAken ( B Sept. 11, 1876 D Oct. 1976) were George Fetz (B Dec. 23, 1851 D Mar. 25, 1926) and Helena Pfilzner (B 1850, D June 10, 1891). It would make sense that Bertha's father, George, lived with her and her second husband. George was a stonecutter. I have a lot of info on that side of the family. George's parents were born in Germany and came to NY in 1841.

Guy Finkle - The picture of Guy Finkle is a hoot - interesting hair style.

Carrie Parks Townsend is in the middle with her two daughers - left side is Mildred Finkle Reed and right side is Edna Finkle Gustafson. Carrie Parks Finkle Townsand

Yes, Robert I. Finkle is my father (Bob fishing) B April 5, 1922 in Liberty NY. D June 29, 2007. On the back of the picture it says "me fishing on the Beaverkill near Livingston Manor taken in 1930" Bob Finkle fishing in the Little Beaverkill - 1930 We have been discussing the photo for two days now and comparing it to other photos of the stream near the house. Unfortunately, due to floods and erosion the looks of the stream have changed considerably during my lifetime, and so far I have been unable to match it up. For example, when I was a boy, I had the job of taking my grandmother's mop out to the stream for a good rinse. To do that now in the same spot, I would have to climb down a ten-foot bank to get to the water. The three buildings in the photo are also not familiar to me, nor can I find similar ones in any of my old photos, although that in itself is not necessarily a factor, as at least two of them probably went down not long after that picture was taken. I will keep looking and if I find anything I'll let you know. Say hi to Fred for me. If you get a chance, why don't you stop by sometime after I open for the season and have a look around. Jim I think you're right on the location of the photo. The hillside in the background seems to have a highway, with cut and fill, running mid-way across; only two locations in the valley that I can think of that would have that configuration; at Morsston and also at Mott Flat. I wasn't sure Morsston was the right location, since there also appears to be a smaller road or trail that ascends up from the valley to that road. I thought that the slope would have been too steep for this until I traveled past the location this morning, finding that there is indeed still the remains of some sort of trail going up the hillside, perhaps left over from the tannery days. Also on the hillside possibly may be the early stages of the cemetery that now exists along old Route 17, the Jewish cemetery.

Bertha and my father - do you recognize the house in the background?

Robert Finkle and Herbert Van Aken (Burt) - circa 1926 Bert and my father, Robert Finkle

This looks like Frank and Cora VanAken and children - what do you think?-- Not Frank and Cora - unknown hrv

The first picture was labled by my father at "Bounton Finkle on the left" This is a big mystery to me. He had written that Bounton and Polly Finkle were parents to Guy Finkle, but I can't find any record of that. On the web, I found Daniel Bouton Finkle as a father to Guy. I also found a Burr Finkle that earned a sacred cross award for bravery in WWI.

The Pic "Family & Dog" is a total mystery - any idea?

The 3rd picture was labeled Grandma Finkle. At first I thought it was Hester Ann Overton, but I noticed she died in 1916. The boy is my father and he was born in 1922

The last picture, "man with hat", was also a tin type picture. He looks like someone I saw on your website, but I couldn't be sure.