Preserving Jewish Heritage in Texas Texas Jewish Est. 1980 Historical Society March 2015 News Magazine Finger Farm Celebrates 100 Years in Shepherd by Jacob McAdams First printed June 17, 2014, Cleveland [Texas] Advocate and reprinted with permission. One of the more prevalent Finger’s cousin, Lawrence names in Shepherd, Texas, is Finger, purchasing an extra that of the Finger family. With 360 acres approximately five a large entrepreneurial history years ago. Currently, Finger that involves farm land, furni- Farm is approximately 620 ture stores and other businesses acres in size and borders Big in and out of town, the Fingers Creek and Mussel Shoals are considered well-established Creek. in the area. In 1927, Sam Finger, In May of 2014, Alan along with his wife, Annie Finger, current owner of Finger Finger, moved to Houston Farms and grandson of Sam to retire, leaving the store in Finger, asked for a proclama- the care of his son, Bernice tion from the city of Shepherd Finger, Alan Finger’s uncle. to recognize the farm’s 100th Bernice Finger was seventeen anniversary on April 13, 2015. at the time. According to The story of the Finger Alan Finger, his uncle primar- Farm begins with the emigra- ily used it to raise cattle. tion of Sam Finger from Latvia After retiring, Sam Finger to the United States. Accord- eventually went into business ing to Alan Finger, he arrived renting out appliances and in New York in the 1890s and furniture during the Depres- worked in a hat shop with his sion. “That was when it uncle. Sam Finger (right) with his wife Annie Finger (left) at started,” said Finger, referring When his uncle let him go in their 50th wedding anniversary. to Finger’s Furniture, one of order to bring his own son into the family’s more prominent the business, Sam Finger made his purchase of Sam Finger’s store are businesses. way to Texas. “No one knows how ambiguous, according to his grandson, The family endured a number of or why he came to Texas,” said Alan but in 1901 he bought the store, one hardships as well. With the impact Finger. of the famous historical memories for from the recession, Sam Finger kept A 1900 census placed Sam Finger Shepherd. the business from becoming bank- in Groveton, Texas, where he had Sam Finger eventually brought the rupt. Another challenge involved begun making preparations to start first one hundred acres for the farm the original store burning down in what would be a successful business on January 19, 1914, from a woman 1929—a tragic loss for the family. life for him. “He put out a word that named Florrie Cravey, the surviv- Socially, one of the Finger fam- he was looking for a little store,” said ing widow of C.H. Cravey. Since ily’s biggest challenges involved Finger. The events leading up to the then, the property has expanded, with continued on page 3 Texas Jewish Historical Society - March 2015 Page 1 Message from the President by Debra Winegarten Almost fifty Coupled with have one of their staff members come members of TJHS phone calls in train us. I’m happy to report that Lois met in Waco for one week from Myers gave a terrific workshop and the quarterly board two octogenarian now, we have almost forty members meeting on Janu- TJHS members from all corners of Texas trained and ary 23 through 25, whose health no raring to go. If you have not yet told 2015. One of the longer enables your family’s history, or if you know advantages of being them to attend our someone whose Texas Jewish history your president is that meetings, and re- should be in our archives, go to your I have a lot of input alizing we had not computer right now and email the into these meetings. yet captured their Committee Chair, Nelson Chafetz at As I planned the oral histories, I [email protected], and he will winter meeting, I asked myself how help make the arrangements. felt a bit like Tevye I could leverage Temple Rodef Sholom opened in Fiddler on the our membership, their doors to us for Friday night ser- Roof, as I imagined the ghost of my be- many of whom are themselves retired, vices and sponsored a delicious oneg loved mother, Ruthe Winegarten, may and unleash a contingent of well-trained afterwards. Saturday afternoon, Harry she rest in peace, visiting me in my oral historians to capture their stories. Harelik met us at Jacob De Cordova’s dreams, and asking point-blank, “…and I remembered years ago Mom and I historical marker, which TJHS helped what exactly are you doing to fulfill the attended a day-long oral history work- put in place in 1986, and told us the mission of the Texas Jewish Historical shop given by Baylor University, so I significance of De Cordova’s role Society?” contacted those folks and arranged to in helping plat Waco land tracts and donating land to the city, and how the The Texas Jewish Historical Society marker came to be placed in its pres- ent location. We were impressed by March 2015 the beautiful statues of the cattle and Quarterly News Magazine cowboys recognizing that Waco was a part of the Chisolm Trail. The Texas Jewish Historical Society News Magazine is published We then visited the Texas Collec- four times annually. Stories about Texas Jewish history, oral histories, tion at Baylor, where a small exhibit of and requests for assistance with research are welcome, as are photographs materials depicting the Jewish history and historical documents. Please provide color photocopies or scans at of Waco was displayed. Many of these 300 dpi or greater in .gif, .tif, or .jpg format, and send electronically to As- items were from the over one-hun- sistant Editor Davie Lou Solka at [email protected] or by mail to 3808 dred boxes of materials that Ima Joy Woodbrook Circle, Austin, TX 78759, 512-527-3799. Be sure to include continued on page 3 your name and contact information. The News Magazine of the Publisher-Editor Alexa Kirk Texas Jewish Historical Society Assistant Editor Davie Lou Solka (USPS) is published four times Photographers Sally Drayer, Marvin Rich, Davie Lou Solka a year by the Texas Jewish His- Marc Wormser torical Society, P. O. Box 10193, Note: The Texas Jewish Historical Society is Austin, Texas 78766-0193, Travis unable to guarantee the safe receipt and/or return County. Periodical postage paid at of documents or photographs. It is strongly recom- Houston, Texas. Postmaster: send mended that you provide color photocopies of both address changes to the Texas Jew- color and black & white documents. We welcome ish Historical Society, P. O. Box your comments and suggestions. 10193, Austin, Texas 78766-0193. Visit us on the web at www.txjhs.org. www.txjhs.org. Page 2 Texas Jewish Historical Society - March 2015 Finger Farm, continued from page 1 their Jewish background, which charities and individuals. that holds to the value of respect. placed them in conflict with the Ku Sam Finger passed away in 1958 “They taught us to respect people, Klux Klan. Alan Finger mentioned at the age of eighty-eight, and his (and) to respect each other,” said that his grandfather had even stood wife, Annie Finger, died fourteen Finger. As for the farm, Finger sees up to a member of the KKK. years later at the age of eighty-four. it as another piece to their family’s The Fingers were also a chari- When Bernice Finger passed away, strong bond. “It truly was a family table family, as they helped in the Alan Finger took over Finger Farm farm,” he said. creation of Seven Acres Jewish and has started using it to produce Editor’s note: Sam and Annie Senior Care Services Center, and gourmet hay for horses. Gordon Finger had six children: were known for giving to various With a rich history behind the Hyman Edward, who married Bessie Finger Farm, as well Kaplan; Aaron Leon, who married as the family itself, Dora Testa; Bernice, who married Alan Finger carries Sarah Lillian Goldberg; Rosella, on a proud name who married Jacob Morris Glick; In large photos that Samuel “Sammy” Paul, who mar- are placed at Mc- ried Florence Ruth Shapiro; and Clain’s Supermarket Alline Frieda, who married Joseph in Shepherd, Alan Phillip Kost. Larry Finger, Bernice’s Finger points out his son, said that Bernice is the correct grandparents among spelling of his father’s name. Annie the townfolk outside named him that, but he always pre- of one of the stores, ferred to be called “Mr. B.” Thank Peter’s Shoes. Alan you to Marvin Rich and Lynna Kay Finger currently runs Shuffield, who cleared up some con- the Finger Farm in Shepherd. fusion with this article.) President’s Message, continued from page 2 TJHS on facebook Gandler, long time TJHS archivist, Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas- had collected. We finished the day Jewish-Historical-Society/187629054741368. with a dinner and heard tales of growing up in Waco from long-time natives and residents, Arnold Miller, Mazel Tov Leonard Englander, and Harry Harelik. to the following Please make your plans now to Texas Jewish Historical Society Members meet with us at the Annual Gather- Marvin Rich, who received the ADL Advocacy Award for his service to ADL ing in Dallas, April 24-26, 2015. and legislative advocacy at a luncheon on Legislative Day in Austin February 2, This will be a Joint Meeting with 2015.