Andrew Phalen & Elisabeth Finkemeijer: St. Louis, MO Records

In getting the story out about Andrew Phalen being from Nova Scotia and Elisabeth’s surname being “Finkemeijer”, not Vinkheimer, I left out some important documents and part of the story. True, Andrew and Elisabeth married in St. Louis, Missouri. But they did not move East to West Virginia for several years. Again, I’ve no idea why Andrew Phalen came to St. Louis and it’s possible that’s one mystery I’ll never figure out. That’s for another blog post.

To begin, here are the marriage records of Andrew Phalen and Elisabeth Finkemeijer (whose surname is butchered in each of the following documents). Yes, there’s more than one: One for the church (St. Louis Cathedral) and one for the state. Note that in the church marriage record, Andrew’s parents are named as William Phalen and Margaret Long. I’m not saying Andrew’s father’s name wasn’t William: I am saying that William Phalen is not the name he used in government documents in Nova Scotia. Those documents bear the name Patrick. Note however that one of Andrew’s brothers was named William. I’ve no doubt that the author of the article published in Hardesty’s Encyclopedia of West Virginia Counties obtained the info from this document.

Andrew Phalen Elizabeth Finkemeijer marriage record — Andrew Phalina and Elisabeth Feuker | On the 2oth of April, Eighteen hundred and forty, I, the undersigned, joined together in the holy bonds of matrimony Andrew Phalina, son of William Phalin & of Margaret Long, of the one part, and Elisabeth Feuker, daughter of Henry Feuker and of … of the other part, and gave them the nuptial blessing before witnesses. In testimony whereof, Signed: Jos. A. Lutz, Priest.

Missouri State Marriage Record — Andrew Phalina & Elisabeth Feuker on the 20th of April 1840. Telesphore Mignault.

And, here are the children’s birth and/or baptismal records recorded at the St. Louis Cathedral now part of the Drouin Collection (Available through Ancestry and FamilySearch.org). If you want to view these yourself, there are a lot of images you’ll need to look through to find them.

Elizabeth Isabella Fell. Note that she was probably named for Isabella Lamb, her godmother (“Sponsor”).

Elizabeth Isabella Fell | On the first day May 1842 I baptized Elizabeth Isabela, born on the 16 day of last April, daughter of Andrew Fell and Elizabeth Fingermeire. Sponsors were Bernard Schroeder and Isabella Lamb. G. A. Hamilton.

William Phalen. This is the only record that probably exists for William. Whether he died en route to West Virginia or after arrival is unknown but he is not listed in the 1850 or 1860 Censuses for Putnam County (nor are several of the other children alleged to have been born to Andrew and Elizabeth in Hardesty’s Encyclopedia).