Walter E. Fink Biography


	This biography appears on page 233 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				WALTER E. FINK. 

	Walter E. Fink, the able young auditor of Custer county and one 
of the esteemed residents of Custer, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 
on the 12th of January, 1880, the eldest of three children, whose 
parents are Simon and Hannah (Tutkin) Fink, the former born in 
Milwaukee and the latter in Pennsylvania. The father engaged in the 
hardware business after emigrating to Milwaukee and has been connected 
with that business continuously for fifty-two years. 

	Walter E. Fink attended the ward and high schools of Milwaukee 
but when eighteen years of age he put aside his textbooks. He served in 
the United States Naval Hospital at Brooklyn for three and a half years 
and in 1899 arrived in the Black Hills and entered the employ of the 
Wabash Gold Mining Company. After continuing with them for a year he 
taught school at Four Mile for one year and then turned his attention 
to mining again. He also clerked in a general store at Custer until he 
was elected in 1914, as county auditor. In January, 1915, he took 
charge of the office and has already demonstrated his ability to handle 
its affairs satisfactorily. 

	Mr. Fink was married on the 31st of December, 1903, to Miss Ida 
Bostrom, who was born at Four Mile, Custer county, of the marriage of 
John and Fredricka (Lindstrom) Bostrum, both natives of Sweden. They 
emigrated to the United States many years ago and settled at Cheyenne, 
Wyoming, where the father was engaged in mechanical work. He removed to 
South Dakota in the ear]y part of the history of this state and resided 
at Rapid City for about two years. For nine years the family home was 
on Hay Creek and at the end of that time a removal was made to Four 
Mile. The father engaged in ranching there until the fall of 1912, when 
he removed to San Diego, California, and is now following the 
carpenter's trade there. To him and his wife have been born two 
children, of whom Mrs. Fink is the younger. By her marriage she has 
three children: Carmencita Ethel, at school; Claudia Amelia; and 
Rosetta Lina. 

	Mr. Fink is a republican and is one of the loyal party workers in 
his county. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. He is still interested in a number of mining ventures but 
concentrates practically his entire time and attention upon the duties 
of the auditor's office, and his ability and conscientiousness make it 
certain that his record in that connection will be a creditable one.