The Life of Ernest Dayle Fincher in Pictures 1933-2018

He was also known as "Buddy" Fincher.

Funeral Slide Show is on Youtube.com.

Here's a bunch of photos from my father's life. These are by no means complete, but mostly of his younger days.

Friday, 1 January 1937

Earliest photo of Buddy with sisters Lynette and Barbara

images/ErnestFincher/1937-00-00-LynetteBarbaraBuddy.jpg

Theron, Lurline, Lynette, Buddy, and Barbara Fincher.jpg

images/ErnestFincher/1937-00-00-TheronLurlineBuddyBarbaraFincher.jpg

Wednesday, 1 January 1941

Only school picture of Buddy we have

images/ErnestFincher/1941-00-00-BuddyFincher.jpg

Saturday, 1 January 1944

Left to Right: Buddy, Melbourne, ?,?,Barbara, ?, and Lynette Fincher

images/ErnestFincher/1944-00-00-BuddyMelbourneBarbaraLynette.jpg

Wednesday, 1 January 1947

At Lynette's Wedding - Lynette and Buddy

images/ErnestFincher/1947-00-00-LynetteWeddingBuddy.jpg

Saturday, 1 January 1949

Buddy with show bull Streak - He raised this bull for the Houston stock show

images/ErnestFincher/1949-00-00-BuddyWithStreak.jpg

Tuesday, 1 January 1952

Buddy Bull Riding at A&M

images/ErnestFincher/1952-00-00-BuddyBullRiding.jpg

Thursday, 1 January 1953

Winners Of All Aggie Rodeo. Dad told me he really, really wanted to win a rodeo belt buckle and he prayed that if God would just grant him a belt buckle that would be all he needed. He did win.

images/ErnestFincher/1953-00-00-WinnersOfAllAggieRodeo.jpg

Friday, 1 January 1954

Buddy Fincher in A&M Uniform

images/ErnestFincher/1954-00-00-BuddyFincher.jpg

Buddy Fincher Uniform

images/ErnestFincher/1954-00-00-BuddyFincherUniform.jpg

Wednesday, 1 September 1954

Wedding with Joanne Grace Satterfield Fincher

images/ErnestFincher/1954-09-00-JoWeddingCake.jpg

Saturday, 1 January 1955

Pilot Training Class 56F Instructor Digger Stanga

images/ErnestFincher/1955-00-00-PilotTraingClass56FInstructorDiggerStanga.jpg

Sunday, 1 January 1956

Buddy, Theron, and Lurline. Somehow Dad scraped enough money together to buy a little plane.

images/ErnestFincher/1956-00-00-_Buddy__airplane_pic055.jpg

Wednesday, 1 August 1956

Buddy, Theron, Michael, Pickens Steele Fincher

images/ErnestFincher/1956-08-00-PSTheronBuddyMichaelFincher.jpg

Saturday, 1 January 1966

1966-00-00-ErnestFincherAirRaidAndC130Traffic2.mp3

1966/1966-00-00-ErnestFincherAirRaidAndC130Traffic2.mp3

Sunday, 1 January 1967

Ernest Fincher in his dress white

images/ErnestFincher/1967-00-00-ErnestFincherWhite.jpg

Photos from his Air Force Annuals 1967-

Buddy went to pilot training in Laredo, Hondo, and San Antonio. They often made annuals for the training session. These are selected photos of those books.

1967-00-00-1542-IMG_2008.jpg

1967-00-00-1542-IMG_2008.jpg

1967-00-00-1540-IMG_2007.jpg

1967-00-00-1540-IMG_2007.jpg

1967-00-00-1540-IMG_2006.jpg

1967-00-00-1540-IMG_2006.jpg

1967-00-00-1530-IMG_2005.jpg

1967-00-00-1530-IMG_2005.jpg

1967-00-00-1528-IMG_2003.jpg

1967-00-00-1528-IMG_2003.jpg

1967-00-00-1527-IMG_1999.jpg

1967-00-00-1527-IMG_1999.jpg

1967-00-00-1526-IMG_1998.jpg

1967-00-00-1526-IMG_1998.jpg

1967-00-00-1519-IMG_1997.jpg

1967-00-00-1519-IMG_1997.jpg

1967-00-00-1519-IMG_1996.jpg

1967-00-00-1519-IMG_1996.jpg

1967-00-00-1517-IMG_1995.jpg

1967-00-00-1517-IMG_1995.jpg

1967-00-00-1508-IMG_1994.jpg

1967-00-00-1508-IMG_1994.jpg

1967-00-00-1506-IMG_1990.jpg

1967-00-00-1506-IMG_1990.jpg

1967-00-00-1502-IMG_1984.jpg

1967-00-00-1502-IMG_1984.jpg

1967-00-00-1502-IMG_1983.jpg

1967-00-00-1502-IMG_1983.jpg

1967-00-00-1459-IMG_1982.jpg

1967-00-00-1459-IMG_1982.jpg

1967-00-00-1457-IMG_1980.jpg

1967-00-00-1457-IMG_1980.jpg

1967-00-00-1456-IMG_1976.jpg

1967-00-00-1456-IMG_1976.jpg

1967-00-00-1455-IMG_1975.jpg

This story is written my Buddy for his 50th? High School reunion. I think Barbara put the retro-annual together with pics from their original yearbook, stories, and current photos.

1967-00-00-1455-IMG_1975.jpg

1967-00-00-1454-IMG_1974.jpg

1967-00-00-1454-IMG_1974.jpg

1967-00-00-1450-IMG_1972.jpg

1967-00-00-1450-IMG_1972.jpg

1967-00-00-1450-IMG_1970.jpg

1967-00-00-1450-IMG_1970.jpg

1967-00-00-1446-IMG_1969.jpg

This is the belt buckle he won while in A&M on their rodeo team. Dad told me that he asked God that if God would just let him win and get a rodeo belt buckle, he wouldn't ask for anything else.

1967-00-00-1446-IMG_1969.jpg

1967-00-00-1439-IMG_1966.jpg

1967-00-00-1439-IMG_1966.jpg

1967-00-00-1437-IMG_1965.jpg

1967-00-00-1437-IMG_1965.jpg

1967-00-00-1434-IMG_1963.jpg

1967-00-00-1434-IMG_1963.jpg

1967-00-00-1431-IMG_1962.jpg

1967-00-00-1431-IMG_1962.jpg

1967-00-00-1430-IMG_1961.jpg

1967-00-00-1430-IMG_1961.jpg

1967-00-00-1418-IMG_1960.jpg

1967-00-00-1418-IMG_1960.jpg

Tuesday, 17 October 1967

1967-10-17-ErnestFincher.jpg

images/ErnestFincher/1967-10-17-ErnestFincher.jpg

Monday, 1 January 1968

Mike, Buddy, Mitch, and our collie dog Candy. The green pickup in the background drove all over the US. From CA to Tx, Idaho to Tx. Dad installed saddle gas tanks so we could just drive and drive and not have to stop for gas. We had a camper shell on the back with a tunnel in between the cab and back. We would usually travel with a matress in the back and snacks.

images/ErnestFincher/1968-00-00-BuddyMikeMitchCandy.jpg

Wednesday, 1 January 1969

During the Vietnam war, Dad was stationed in Udorn, Thailand. He bought a motorcycle there, but it was stolen. He rued the fact years later. He said during his stay over in Vietnam in his location the US was losing 2 our of every 3 pilots. (For the whole war it was much less, but still dangerous).

images/ErnestFincher/1969-00-00-UdornThailandMotorcycleStolenOnBase.jpg

Monday, 1 January 1973

Dad was in charge of a C130 deployment to Howard AFB in Panama.jpg

images/ErnestFincher/1973-00-00-C130-Panama.jpg

1973-00-00-HowardABPanamaDetachmentCommander.jpg

images/ErnestFincher/1973-00-00-HowardABPanamaDetachmentCommander.jpg

Tuesday, 1 January 1974

Buddy loved to ski and teach others how to ski.

images/ErnestFincher/1974-00-00-BuddySkiing.jpg

1974-00-00-LtColBuddyFincherFtHood.jpg

images/ErnestFincher/1974-00-00-LtColBuddyFincherFtHood.jpg

Saturday, 1 January 2000

2000-00-00-ClassOf1950AlbanyHigh.jpg

images/ErnestFincher/2000-00-00-ClassOf1950AlbanyHigh.jpg

Thursday, 1 January 2004

Buddy went to Russia with an evangelist.

images/ErnestFincher/2004-00-00-BuddyFincher.jpg

Saturday, 1 January 2005

2005-00-00-ErnestFincherAndFamily.jpg

images/ErnestFincher/2005-00-00-ErnestFincherAndFamily.jpg

Buddy Fincher At a Party

images/ErnestFincher/2005-00-00-ErnestFincherAtParty.jpg

Dad had a reading chair in the living room with a big screen tv in the room. He and Peggy would listen to five chapters a day on a scripture reading device - one chapter of the Old Testament, one Psalms, one Proverbs, one gospel, and one epistle.

images/ErnestFincher/2005-00-00-ErnestFincherReadingInChair.jpg

Ernest Fincher With Friends And Family - Rodney Casey top row.

images/ErnestFincher/2005-00-00-ErnestFincherWithFriendsAndFamily.jpg

Saturday, 27 May 2006

Finchers At Jeremiah's Graduation

images/ErnestFincher/2006-05-27-FinchersAtJeremiahsGraduation.jpg

Thursday, 1 January 2015

Fincher Men - that's a picture of Theron Pickens Fincher

images/ErnestFincher/2015-00-00-FincherMen.jpg

Friday, 10 August 2018

Rodney Casey and family came to visit Dad at the Abilene hospital downtown.

images/ErnestFincher/2018-08-10-Caseys.jpg

Sunday, 12 August 2018

Jeff Pleasant

images/ErnestFincher/2018-08-12-JeffPleasant.jpg

John Viertel came to visit. John was so helpful to our family during Dad's fight with cancer.

images/ErnestFincher/2018-08-12-JohnViertel.jpg

Peggy Fincher was at Dad's bedside night and day.

images/ErnestFincher/2018-08-12-PeggyFincher.jpg

Saturday, 1 September 2018

I asked my Dad what he wanted to say during his last few days. Here are some recording of him.

2018-09-00-ErnestFincherHoliness.mp3

2018/2018-09-00-ErnestFincherHoliness.mp3

2018-09-00-ErnestFincherSecondEpilogue.mp3

2018/2018-09-00-ErnestFincherSecondEpilogue.mp3

2018-09-00-ErnestFincherSpiritualJourney.mp3

2018/2018-09-00-ErnestFincherSpiritualJourney.mp3

2018-09-00-ErnestFincherSpiritualJourneyEpilogue.mp3

2018/2018-09-00-ErnestFincherSpiritualJourneyEpilogue.mp3

2018-09-00-ErnestFincherThirdEpilogue.mp3

2018/2018-09-00-ErnestFincherThirdEpilogue.mp3

Wednesday, 5 September 2018

My Dad died at the veteran's Hospital in Big Spring Texas. His wife Peggy took this video of his final departure. The staff were so wonderful to him during his final days.

Click on the picture to see the 1.5 min video

Buddy Fincher Funeral Bulletin Front

images/ErnestFincher/2018-09-05-BuddyFincherFuneralBulletinFront.jpg

Buddy Fincher Funeral Bulletin Inside

images/ErnestFincher/2018-09-05-BuddyFincherFuneralBulletinInside.jpg

Ernest Fincher's Death Certificate

images/ErnestFincher/2018-09-05-ErnestFincherDeathCertificate.jpg

His exit from the VA hospital in Big Spring Texas on Youtube. The video is from Peggy Fincher, his widow.

Note for any descendants who might suffer the same. This is a warning : He died from lung cancer that had traveled into his spine. He was never a smoker, but was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The cancer was very fast moving. He was very active until a few months before his diagnosis, when started to get tired more than usual. From an MRI report: "There is an infiltrating mass to the right of the C5 through T5 mediastinal mass invading the right side of the spine. It invades into the T2, T3 and possible T4 neural foramen on the right. It invades these vertebral bodies as well. It extends into the right side of the spinal canal at the T3 and T4 levels."

He also survived colon cancer and had thyroid issues.