FINLEY J. MCGINNIS    

Finley J. McGinnis was born March 22, 1883, the son of William Jasper McGinnis and Matilda (McCleese) McGinnis, at Smith Creek in Carter County, Kentucky, the eighth of 11 children. He had five brothers, Melvin L., George Ellis "Bud," Thomas, Reben and William, and four sisters,

Viola, Bessie, Bertha and Caroline, and an infant brother or sister that died at birth. He married Bertie Jane Jordan November 24, 1909, in Carter County. They had five children listed here with spouses, Goldie Gladys(Forrest Hossman), William Arthur(Louise Winters), David Eugene(Hazel Osborne), Marilyn Jane(Willie Minix-Edward Bauer-Willie Minix) and Norman Edward(Louise Rayburn). They farmed in Carter County when first married, clearing new ground and bulilding a house and barns. Bertie raised and harvested a tobacco crop while Fin was clearing more land. She served the community as a midwife delivering several hundred babies. They moved to Portsmouth in 1921 where Fin went to work for the Portsmouth water works until ill health forced his retirement. He was widely known for his hunting expertise and worked at his hobby of taxidermy in his younger years. His great-great-grandfather, Francis McGinnis, and his wife came from Ireland, near Dublin, to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in the latter part of the 17th century. They owned their own farm. They had three sons, William, Sam and John. They had three servants. William was Fin's greatgrandfather. He was born in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, December 5, 1782. He died March 7, 1854, in Greenup County, Kentucky. He married Jane Brown in Greeup County. She was born March 22, 1798. They had 11 children, three girls and eight boys. William served in the war of 1812. He was a member of a company of soldiers who were cutting down trees on the shores of lake erie and hewing out timbers for the building of Commodore Perrys fleet. He was a skilled woodsman and an artist with the broad axe and adz. He and a superior officer had a difference of opinion and William drew his gun to protect himself. A man nearby grabbed the gun and it went off blowing the captains ear off. William fled to Perrys ship and explained to him what had happened. Perry refused to give him up to the soldiers and attended Williams trail in Erietown, Pennsylvania. Perry located the man who had grabbed the gun and the man told the court how it had happened. William was cleared and later his picture taken with Commodore Perry. The Commodore was so inpressed with his manner and bearing, and finally said, "Well I can use all the fighters I can get on this trip." When Perry hauled down his flag from the riddled Lawrence and rowed in an open boat, amind a shower of musket balls and grapeshot, to the Niagara, his flag under his arm, among the

men in the boat with him was William McGinnis. He later became a powder maker and worked in the saltpeter caves. Fin's grandfather, Rueben McGinnis was born on Mudd Lick near Paintsville, Kentucky. He married Martha Carline Black at Greenup. They had a family of nine children, William Jasper, Rebecca Jane, Rachel

Mariah, Clarinda, Lee Newton, Alice Ginervra, Daniel Franklin, Sabra Ann and Winona Francis. Rueben was a farmer and worked at Boone Furnace in Carter County. He later moved to McDowell Creek in Lewis County, Kentucky, where he bought 600 acres of land. He worked in timber on his land and kept hired

hands to help him with the work. He died in the spring of 1913 and is buried at Tannery, Kentucky. He was 92. Finley McGinnis died 5 April, 1950, and Bertie Jan McGinnis died

February, 1964, at Portsmouth. They both are buried in Memorial Buiral

Park at Wheelersburg Ohio.