Hysterical Journey to Historic Places

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OOOMPH……THUMP

She was only 20 when she died. It was most likely from a tangled child birth. Her husband, John, loved her so dearly. He put up a huge headstone to honor her memory. Fifty years later a man named Frank Finkel died and was buried nearby. Frank had been in the ground for 87 years when the Oliver Family decided to stop by the cemetery in Dayton, WA to pay their respects at his grave.



Finkel is now thought to be the only survivor of Custer’s Last Stand. He was serving in C Troop, commanded by Tom Custer. Early in the fight he had raised his rifle to shoot while mounted on his horse when a bullet struck the stock of his rifle. Splinters flew into his face and stunned him. The blood flow made it difficult for him to see. Simultaneously his horse was grazed and bolted off to the north. A few of the warriors saw them go but did not give pursuit because too many other soldiers needed killing. Finkel stopped at the first little creek he came to in order to water the horse and clean the gunk out of his eyes. The water was quite bitter. They stopped again in the next drainage, but that water too was bitter. Long as they continued north Finkel was sure to find other soldiers. The horse gradually gave out and died. Finkel continued north on foot until he came to a cabin occupied by two trappers. One of them was quite sick, and the other did not care to be burdened by an injured soldier. Finkel collapsed in the yard and was taken inside to heal. He slowly recovered and helped care for the sick man until that man finally went up the flume. By then all of the other soldiers had gone back home. Finkel did not want to go down as a deserter so he made his way to Fort Buford to return to his duty. The provost there did not believe Finkel’s story and demanded that he produce two witnesses who could verify his identity. All of them were dead, of course, and then as a parting shot the provost demanded to see the horse too. That was enough. Finkel went back to his home in Ohio and eventually made his way out to Dayton where he worked hard, raised a rollicking group of kids, and eventually became a prosperous wheat wrangler. One day in 1920 he got to visiting with some pals after church when the topic of Custer’s Last Stand came under discussion. For the first time in 44 years he spoke of the battle, and with astounding authority like he might have actually been there. That maybe there was a survivor of the battle was an event that got picked up by several newspapers. Over the years that story got kicked around ever more. One day a geologist picked up on it and pointed out that there was no way Finkel could have known those two drainages north of the battlefield were alkaline unless he had been there. I do not know for certain if his story is true, but want to believe it is. The Olivers were all standing around visiting in the cemetery when Cousin Bill leaned against a large tombstone nearby and toppled it over with a loud thump. As Bill sat down on the pedestal the first thing he had to say was, "Oooomph". Jeremy caught it all on a video. When we all got done laughing Jeremy stopped by City Hall and reported that he had accidentally vandalized a tombstone. They told him that the convicts would take care of it. It was much too heavy for any of us to lift.

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Photos

FINKLE'S GRAVE
Rest easy cawprul.

OOPS
For 137 years she had reposing in peace, and then Bill happened.

Comments

[Bill]

Oh Man... You Didn't!!! You Did... LOL... All Apologies for My Intrusion go out to the Family... No Harm Intended... I needed a place to lean. In my Defense, it is my Position is that Settling had take Place, leaving the Monument Base at an Odd Angle. A Stout wind may have been able to topple it, but, Alas, it was Me. For the Record, I was Mortified... All I was able to do is Put my face in my hands as Embarrassment Engulfed me like a Cloud! Again, Apologies to the Owners of the Monument...