Frank Frederick Finke

Frank Frederick Finke, 94, passed away on April 3, 2026, Good Friday, in Baldwin, WI.

Frank is survived by six nieces and one nephew: Peggy Halverson Kasak, Jill Coughlin, Wendy Fugelstad, Heidi Fisher, Elizbeth Johnson, Lenora Brasher, and Philip Burkart. 

Frank is preceded in death by his parents Wilbur & Olive Finke.

Family will privately celebrate Frank's life on a later date.

He lived his whole life from start to finish in the same house in Spring Valley. He was a Good Man!

In his memory, BE KIND.

This is his obituary in his own words, written June 19, 2023:

I was born at 3:30 pm at home on October 8, 1931. With mom’s effort etc. As I was growing up, I really don’t remember much at that time so assume it was a good life. Kind of a routine life of growing up on a farm, with my family farming with horse power of the natural kind, horses and hand work/hard work. At least through the grade school period of my life. And then that which I was supposed to do like, what everyone else is doing such as go to more school, since I disliked school, I said no to high school. Although I did go on and get a GED diploma. Also, I said no to more church instruction as it simple didn’t make sense to me. True I was young and as some would say dumb or whatever. And stopped going to church. That was because there was a hell fire and brimstone preacher that said we are all a bunch of sinners, which convinced me I was not going to heaven so why keep going to church, so I didn’t.

I did recognize that any information I needed was printed in some form or in a book that I could read in any field of knowledge such as history, spiritual subjects, or in the repair business or anything else. I decided to take a couple courses on reading to help me retain information and speed up my ability to read more and that did help me.

So, I became a quiet non-conformist and lived what I considered a useful life, a quiet life. I said no to the army and refused to be inducted. So, I was reclassified from 1-A to 1-O as a conscientious objector and was required to spend two years working in a hospital in Madison, Wi. And then back to the farm.

Farming and repairing farm equipment for other farmers in my shop, for over 40 years and corn drying for other farmers. Along the way in the fall of 2013, I had a bit of a heart issue, a heart attack, had a quadruple bypass surgery and hospitalize for 3 weeks. I survived and am doing well.

And trying to make sense out of all of the variety of religious beliefs knowing they all have something of value. And then to hear them all criticize each other makes no sense to me. And so, I have gone on my own search for what works for me. I have never found it in a group though, bits and pieces yes, so to me “all that is” is the result of a Source energy, God energy, or whatever that creative energy is. Which I call LOVE, given freely to all. And to see the misuse of that energy to gain power over others is not the gift of life and joy that I feel that life is meant to be. And like the song in “Old Man River” “ol man river he just keeps rolling along”. It seems to me that life just keeps rolling along, to me that river is the loving and living presence of Source, or God. We can choose to fight it or enjoy its creative energy and be in gratitude for the ride. It is up to each one of us.