Camden Streets - Merriel Avenue

3100 Block of Merriel Avenue
	3151 to 3163 Merriel Avenue Photo Taken September 14, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3151 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Joseph Rilatt 1947 Edgar R. Whiteman
	3153 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Leroy M. Rush 1947 Robert D. Sapp
	3155 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Norman F. Rigor 1947 John J. McNamee
	3155 Merriel Avenue FIRE September 14, 2011 Photo Taken September 14, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3155, 3157, & 3159 Merriel Avenue Photo Taken September 14, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3157 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929-1947 John M. Brown
	3157 & 3159 Merriel Avenue Photo Taken September 14, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3159 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Harold H. Brown 1947 Walter A. Baker
	3161 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Frank Sias teacher 1947 Harry F. Meyer Photo Taken September 14, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3161 & 3163 Merriel Avenue Photo Taken September 14, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3163 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Edward H. Martin 1947 John S. Dill Photo Taken September 14, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3165 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1947 Stanley Gross 1967 Augustus Balzano police
	3166 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 William S. Holmes 1947 William H. Hamilton
	3167 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929-1950 Arthur Allen
	3168 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Joseph A. Gaffney 1947 Harry J. Fehte
	3169 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 James W. Kelleher 1947 Susan T. Visconti
	3170 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Errol M. Arnold 1947 Hyman James
	3171 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Julius Hudgins 1947 Edward Clark painter
	3171 Merriel Avenue 1950s-1960s Emil N. Olnhausen & Family Emil & Betty Olnhausen Janice Olnhausen
	3172 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Herbert Dalton 1947 Lewis V. Davis
	3172 Merriel Avenue April 2, 2005
	3173 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Andrew C. Jackson 1941-1974 George W. Reeves
	3174 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1947 Lester M. Barbour
	3175 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Walter C. Owied 1947 Percy T. Noden
	3176 Merriel Avenue 1924-1929 George W. Parks 1947 James A. Wright
	3177 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Frank M. Grover 1947 Edward L. Liebich
	3178 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929-1947 Charles Lukey June 1955-1982 he Vesper Family
	3179 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1947 Robert R. Bowen
	3180 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929-1947 Charles J. Cusick
	3181 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1936 Edward Tighe 1947 Walter N. Williamson paperhanger Camden Courier-Post October 28, 1936
	3182 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1931-1953 James A. McKernan & Family James A. & Lillian Starng McKernan Bryan McKernan JAaes McKernan Elizabeth McKernan Marie McKernan Camden Courier-Post April 3, 1953 Click on Image to Read the Complete Article
	3183 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 James H. Naudain 1947 Joseph J. Clark carpenter
	3184 Merriel Avenue 1924 Charles D. Baylass 1929 Mrs. Bertha M. Gray 1947 Harry P. Gray
	3185 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 William N. Douglass 1947 James H. Elliott
	3186 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1947 Edward G. Myer
	3187 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Harry S. Conard 1947 Morris N. Litle
	3188 Merriel Avenue 1924 1929 Walter W. Crowdling 1947 Harry C. Hall
	3189 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant
	3189 Merriel Avenue 1930s-1940s James McTaggart & Family James & Josephine McTaggart Francis McTaggart Joseph McTaggart Left: James McTaggart
	3189 Merriel Avenue 1947 John Condon
	3190 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 George Hulfish 1947 Andrew J. Miller
	3192 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1947 No Listing

3400 Block of Merriel Avenue
	3400 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Harry R. Dent 1947 William H. Kile
	3402 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 John Tersi 1947 Gilbert E. Santini
	3403 Merriel Avenue 1924 Mrs. Ida Cline boardinghouse 1929 Mrs. Helen Loux boardinghouse 1947 John Ruth
	3404 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 John J. DeVall 1947 Pasquale Santini
	3405 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 No Listing 1947 Reginald F. LeDrew 2011 GONE
	3406 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Vacant 1947 Harry W. Bartling laundry
	3407 Merriel Avenue 1924 Joseph Pfeiffer 1929 Joseph Hardy 1947 No Listing
	3411 Merriel Avenue 1924 Chles J. Beegle 1924 Mary Beegle 1924 David C. Williams 1929 Samuel T. Hannold 1947 Mrs. Minnie B. Hannold June 15, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3411 & 3413 Merriel Avenue June 15, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3413 Merriel Avenue 1924-1929 Joseph L. Eccles 1947 Mrs. Isabella Eccles
	3421 Merriel Avenue 1924 J. Alten Whitecar 1929 No Listing 1947 Charles K. Whitecar Photograph taken October 16, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3421 & 3423 Merriel Avenue Photograph taken October 16, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3423 Merriel Avenue 1924 Robert Frame 1929 Thomas E.A. Reeves painter 1947 Edward Rosekowiak Photograph taken October 16, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3431 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 George T. Jorgenson 1947 Owen J. Wells plumber Photograph taken October 16, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3431 & 3433 Merriel Avenue Photograph taken October 16, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge
	3433 Merriel Avenue 1924 No Listing 1929 Walter Burns 1947 Henry S. Beckwith Photograph taken October 16, 2011 Click on Image to Enlarge

Jill Petris Lamparella writes about East Camden

I was born in 1951 and brought home to 139 North 32nd Street. My parents were William Joseph and Elizabeth Mae (Reeves) Petris. These were all very happy years for me and my sister Sheree Joy Petris (married name Romesburg) who was born in 1954. These were happy years because all of our family lived in Camden. My Dad's family was from South Camden and my Mother's family was from East Camden.

My Dad was terrific at carpentry and for several years in their spare time, he rebuilt the entire inside of 139. We had indirect lighting in dining room which shone pink from the outside and they made a faux pink marble fireplace in the living room. Strange, but I guess they were into pink. My Grandparents, George and Ruth Reeves lived at 3173 Merriel Avenue and I could see their house from my back bedroom window. My best friend Janice Olnhausen lived next door at 3171 Merriel Avenue with her parents Emil and Betty Olnhausen. My Great Grandparents, William and Eva Roles (parents of Ruth Roles Reeves) built Roles Court Apartments on North 34th Street and Rosedale Avenue, they lived there and ran the apartments until both passed away. The apartments then passed to George and Ruth Reeves who later sold the property. Most of our family the Petris's, Reeves, Roles, and Kellys were brought up and lived and had happy times at Roles Court Apartments. My parents lived there from 1947 (the year of their marriage) to 1950 until they purchased 139 North 32nd Street.

Our playground were those streets, the back alleys and of course Dudley Grange Park, where they had a ball game going every night during the summer and then there were the swings and slides. My Grandfather George "Rick" Reeves along with his friends George Kissinger, Inky Workings and Harry Hoffman all played baseball there. My Dad Bill Petris also played at one time or other.

My Mother Betty Mae lived in Westfield Acres from 1938 to 1941 or 1942 on a third floor apartment with her sister Ruthie and baby brother George "Richard" Reeves until they moved to 3173 Merriel Avenue.

I went to Henry H. Davis Elementary School from kindergarten (Mrs. McCarroll), 1st grade (Mrs. Braun) 2nd grade (Mrs. Brown), third grade (Mrs. Elliott), fourth grade (Miss Williams), fifth grade (Miss Quinn) and 6th grade (Miss Costello). Mr. Showalter became the principal at some point. I think he had come from Cramer School.

Everyone was friendly, we took the bus everywhere but mostly to 27th Street to go to the M&H to get ice cream, Kotlikoff's to get clothes and the 5 & 10 to look at Barbies. My Mother and my Aunt Carol Kelly would push coaches with their children into "town" as they called it on nice days.

My sister and I would walk to Grace Baptist Church on Sundays, where most of my Mother's family attended (the Reeves side). William Reeves owned the house on Cramer Street across from the church and sided up against the bank parking lot. Later the house was lived in by my Aunt Ida and Uncle Sam. Ida was George Reeves' sister. William Reeves, my great grandfather was the fire chief at the firehouse.

During the Fourth of July celebrations, every year, Dudley Grange Park would set off a wonderful fireworks display. I don't remember if it was big in relation to displays now. It was huge, and beautiful and implanted in my memories so much so that I have to rush out and see fireworks somewhere on the 4th. Unfortunately, someone was killed in the 1950's as I believe one of the fireworks went into the crowd. After that, the fireworks stopped at Dudley Grange to my recollection.

Harry's Grocery store was on the corner of North 32nd Street and Westfield Avenue. On the other corner was Sy's Cleaners. The Esso station was on the other side of the street facing North 32nd. Frank's soda fountain and candy shop was on North 34th and Westfield on the way to school. There was another candy store across from Davis on the corner. The playground at Davis was the scene of many Halloween parades when we had to march around the school for our parents to see back in the 1950's. The playground was wonderful, life was fun and easy.

I had wonderful holidays and many happy memories of 139, 3173 and Roles Court Apartments and the neighborhood in general. The library was great. I would go once every two weeks and take out as many books as I could read. There was roller skating, bike riding, the kid who sold water ice and snowballs in his wagon, the milk truck, the ice truck, the clothes prop man and people who were homeless that would knock on your door to ask for a bowl of soup. You did not say no and always gave them something to eat and you never locked your doors back then. You didn't have to be afraid of anyone. It was a close neighborhood and everyone knew who you were from street to street and neighbors looked out for one another.

My parents sold 139 North 32nd Street around 1962 to move to Cherry Hill after 6th grade. My Grandparents lived at 3173 from about 1941 to approximately 1974 when they past on and my Uncle Richard Reeves inherited the house and then sold it to move near Gibbstown, NJ. My Aunt Ruth Reeves Feairheller moved out of 3171 when she got married in 1957 and at some point moved to a street that paralleled Route 130 near Pennsauken and the Penn Fruit. She may have also lived on Carman Street at one time.

There is so much more and I could go on all day but I won't. It was a lovely, uncomplicated, innocent and wonderfully happy time for all of the family. Now family is scattered all around the U.S. The "olden" days were great fun.

Jill Petris Lamparella
March 2008

Intersection of North 32nd Street & Merriel Avenue Click on Images to Enlarge
	Southeast Corner

Southeast Corner - Photo Taken September 14, 2011

Looking South from North 32nd Street Corner - Photo Taken September 14, 2011

Looking South from North 32nd Street Corner - Photo Taken September 14, 2011

Southwest Corner - Photo Taken September 14, 2011

3500 Block of Merriel Avenue
	3507 Merriel Avenue 1924 Oscar Falkinburg 1929 Roy Chafey 1947 Leroy P Chafey
	3509 Merriel Avenue 1924 Vacant 1929-1947 Chares T. Sharer
	3511 Merriel Avenue 1924-1929 Rev. Irving Maxwell 1947 Rev. Charles B. Howell
	3513-3515 Merriel Avenue 1924-1998 Westminster Presbyterian Church 2008 Merriel Headstart
	3513-3515 Merriel Avenue 2008 Merriel Avenue Headstart Center
	3513-3515 Merriel Avenue 1998-2008 Temple of Love Christian Center Inc.
	3513-3515 Merriel Avenue 1998-2008 Temple of Love Christian Center Inc.

Intersection of Rosedale Avenue & Merriel Avenue


Photo Taken September 14, 2011

Intersection of North 35th Street & Merriel Avenue Click on Images to Enlarge


North 35th Street as seen from Merriel Avenue - Photograph taken October 16, 2011