Monument for Lt. Colonel Paul J. Finken

As many of you know, on November 2, 2006, we lost our dear friend and classmate, Lt. Colonel Paul Finken in Iraq.  Many of our classmates made their journey through school from kindergarten all the way through graduation with him; others of us had the great fortune of knowing him in our high school years.  We all have our own “best” memories of Paul:  Paul the twin, Paul the comedian, Paul the athlete, Paul the soldier, Paul the husband, Paul the father, and through it all, Paul the friend.  As Father Berner said at his funeral, “Paul, I am a better {man} for having known you.”

As a tribute to Paul, the Class of 1984 has set up an account to collect donations for a monument in his honor. We plan to collect the money over the next few months. Early estimates say it will take up to four months to complete.  The size and type of monument will depend on the amount of money we collect. Any amount that you are able to send will be appreciated. The monument will be placed in Earling.  If there is any money left after the project is complete, it will be given to Paul’s wife, Jackie, and his three daughters.

There are two ways to donate.

Donate Online

Regular Mail 

Please make checks to:   Paul Finken Monument Fund and send to:

Farmer’s Trust & Savings Bank

c/o Paul Finken Class of ‘84

PO Box 285

Earling, IA 51530-0285

 (Please note there is also a Paul Finken Memorial Fund set up for his wife and children. In order to contribute to the monument, please make your checks to the Paul Finken Monument Fund and c/o Paul Finken Class of ‘84).