Family Stories of the Finkbiners
and the Blanchards
Photo taken in front of their second car when visiting Blanchard Lodge in Boulder, Colorado in about 1924
Robertson Rambo Finkbiner, age 43
Robert Walton (Bob) Finkbiner, age 10
George Horne (Bud) Finkbiner, age 4
Cornelia Gertrude Blanchard Finkbiner, age 42
Bayly Blanchard Finkbiner, age 15
Our Anchor Family
Robertson Rambo (Bob) Finkbiner was born in Pennsylvania and when he was about 15 years old, his family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1894. His father was a Lutheran Minister, and they made the move for his mother’s health.
Gertrude Blanchard’s family moved to Boulder in 1880 from North Carolina with stops in Illinois and Missouri. Two years later in 1882, Gertrude was born. The Blanchards had a nice piece of land on Boulder Creek in Colorado and ran the Blanchard Lodge for many years.
Bob and Gertrude were married on the 12th of March in 1908 at Gertrude’s Family Home, the Blanchard Lodge on Boulder Creek. This may be their wedding photo. They went on to have three sons: Bayly, Bob and Bud.
Their son Bayly was born in Colorado Springs in 1909. By 1911 they have moved to Medicine Bow, Wyoming. Bob co-founded the Medicine Bow State Bank. Even though they were living in Wyoming, Gertrude gave birth to Bob and Bud in Boulder, Colorado.
Family History
The Finkbiners
The Blanchards
Finkbiners were here for generations
Pennsylvania Roots
Our ancestors immigrated from Sweden, Ireland, Germany and France, in the 1700s. Pennsylvania offered religious freedom and land ownership. Thirteen documented families lived in southern Pennsylvania for over 150 years.
Blanchards were here for generations
North Carolina Roots
Our ancestors immigrated from England. Some went to Virginia first, and then travelled south to North Carolina in the 1600s. Eleven documented families lived in the coastal area of North Carolina for 200 years.
Finkbiners were Patriots
- Eight documented stories of service in the American Revolution
- Bob's father, John William Finkbiner, served twice for the Union Army in the Civil War
- Bob's and Gertrude's son, George Horne (Bud) Finkbiner served in World War II
Blanchards were Patriots
- Timothy Walton served twice in the French and Indian War
- Gertrude's father, Timothy Walton Blanchard, served in the Union Army for the entire length of the Civil War
Gertrude Finkbiner, age 20 in 1902
So how do we know all of this?
Research, DNA Results and Family Photos
Piecing the Family Tree together, one family member at a time, and making sure that we have the right information. DNA has helped to confirm much of this research, and that’s a good feeling. Family Tree Research, Military Records Research, Family Photos coming together to piece together stories about our ancestors. It gives us some context about the world we live in. We are a part of history because they lived through historical events. And the family photos just make it all come to life.
