contributor: 

Oconto County Reporter 
April 18 , 2001 

Anthony Edward Finger, 81, of 8305 N. Rangeline Rd., Town of Little River, died Saturday April 14, 2001 at Bay Area Medical Center, Marinette. Tony was born December 5, 1919 in Oconto to the late Frank and Lucy Kershek Finger. He married Nora Ward on May 19, 1946 in New York City at St. Francis DeSales Church. She preceded him in death on May 16, 2000. Tony graduated from Oconto High School in 1936 as class Valedictorian; he attended UW Madison, graduating in 1940 with a BS in Animal Husbandry. In 1939 he attended the New York Worlds Fair employed by Borden's as a herdsman for the fair. Tony joined the Navy in 1942 and attended Officers training at Harvard where he first met his future wife, Nora. Tony achieved the rank Lt. Junior Grade while serving as Communications Officer on board the USS Hollandia CVE97 during WWII in the Pacific Theatre. After returning from the war and marrying Nora, Tony returned home to join the family farm.

During his years on the farm, Tony was active in 4-H serving in leadership positions on local, district, and state levels. He was also actively involved in the Farm Bureau. In 1979 Tony sold the dairy herd and began work as a Farm Training Instructor at NWTI NWTC. After retiring Tony and Nora made several trips to Europe, researching genealogy and renewing ties with their homelands of Ireland and Czechoslovakia. Tony was a member of Holy Trinity Parish, Wisconsin Czechs Assoc., and Retired Officers Assoc.

Survivors include a daughter, Barbara David Lewis Finger, Oconto; three sons James Martha Hanhart Finger, Basking Ridge, NJ; Michael Melanie Miller Finger, Bloomington, IN; Kevin Susan Running Finger, Minneapolis, MN; a daughter-in-law, Mary Patricia Finger, Elmhurst, IL; a brother, Alfred Betty Finger, Janesville, WI; a sister, Alice Wolk, Seymour; nine grandchildren Dorothy, John Jr., Lucy, Kevin, Alex, Nick, James, Miranda, and Nora. His parents, a son John Finger and a brother James Finger, preceded him in death.

The family will receive relatives and friends at the Gallagher Funeral Home, Oconto, from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 with prayer services at 7:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 18 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church with the Rev. David C. Ruby officiating and burial at Oconto Catholic Cemetery. A special thanks the EMT's of the Oconto Ambulance Service and the paramedics who intercepted en route to the hospital. Also a special thanks to the ICU staff at Bay Area Medical.

In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established for Parkinson's Disease Assoc.

---

BACK TO THE OCONTO COUNTY OBIT PAGE

---