Asa P. Finch, deceased, was a native of Orleans county, N. Y..., was born May 2, 1862, and was a son of a farmer, whose name has lapsed from memory, but it is known that his mother’s maiden name was Clara Blanchard and that she died in the state of New York, while her father died in Michigan.

Asa P. Finch was reared to farming in the Empire state and came to Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1853. He had had no very favorable opportunities for an education beside those afforded by the common schools, but was thoroughly trained in agricultural pursuits. He married, November 23, 1854, at Grand Rapids, Miss Mary J. Dunham, a daughter of Abner and Loretta (Barker) Dunham, located on a farm after marriage and later engaged in the meat business, and finally settled in Grand Rapids and followed dealing in real estate until his death, which occurred December 17, 1883. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Finch was blessed with three children; viz: Albert, who is married and has two children; Daisy and Charlie; Jessie, wife of George W. Thayer, Jr., and Frederick, who married Mary E. Perkins and is the father of one child-Thelma. The family all reside in Grand Rapids.

The father of Mrs. Asa P. Finch was very active and enterprising in the early days of Grand Rapids and erected the first house in the vicinity of the residence now occupied by

his estimable daughter, who has witnessed much of the phenomenal growth of the city since she has resided here. He was a highly respected gentleman, esteemed for his strict integrity as well as business enterprise, and has left behind him a name that is referred to with pride whenever recalled to memory, as it frequently is, by many of his former friends and neighbors.

In politics Mr. Finch was a democrat, but was never an officer seeker, for the sake of emolument, preferring to devote his latter years to his real estate business as being more remunerative and sure than the uncertainties of party politics. He was respected wherever he was known, and as a business man had but few, if any, superiors in the city of Grand Rapids in its early years. Mrs. Finch attends the Plymouth Congregational church and resides at No. 464 South East street.