ALBERT VICTOR DUKES SR. was born in Philadelphia on May 2, 1892 to Benjamin and Jane H. Dukes. The 1900 Census shows that his family had moved to Haddon Township, New Jersey. Besides Albert, there was an older step-sister, Mary McCoy, and younger siblings Benjamin F. and Sarah Ruth Dukes, as well as his grandmother Matilda Garrett. Benjamin Dukes worked as a compositor. Albert V. Dukes Sr. was living in Camden when, in Camden on September 8, 1914, his wife Barbara gave birth to there first child, Albert V. Dukes Jr. Two more sons would follow, Charles Dukes and Robert Dukes. His mother lived with them, sadly, she died in July of 1915. The family was then residing at 3803 Westfield Avenue in East Camden. Albert Dukes Sr. was then out of work but soon landed a job working as a record maker at the Victor Talking Machine Company. Shortly after the January 1920 Census enumeration Albert V. Dukes Sr. joined the Camden Fire Department, serving for many years with Engine Company No. 9, Twenty-seventh and Federal Streets. The Dukes family remained at 3803 Westfield Avenue through at least 1947. In February of 1938 Albert V. Dukes Jr. joined his father as a member of the Camden Fire Department. Robert Dukes joined the department in 1947 and would serve for over 30 years and rise to the rank of Battalion Chief. By 1952 Albert V. Dukes Sr. had retired from the Camden Fire Department and had moved to Deland, Floriada. He passed away in Florida on May 22, 1953 and was buried there. His widow, Barbara Dukes, was living at 301 Beideman Avenue in Camden's Westfield Acres Apartments when the 1959 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory was compiled. She died in 1961 and was buried at Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken, New Jersey. |
![]() |
Camden Daily Courier
W. Scott Franklin
|
Hook & Ladder Company 3, Hose & Chemical Company 1 & Engine Company 9 - 1924 |
![]() |
Hook & Ladder Company 3: Captain Joseph B. Ayres, FF Dave Humphries, Al Dukes, John Mulligan, Bill Mountney, Bill Hopkins. Hose & Chemical Company 1: Captain Charles H. Robinson, FF William E "Pud" Jaeckel, George Townsend, Ken Naylor, Howard Gick. Engine Company 9: Captain John H. Vickers, FF Irv Lederman, Newton Ash, Joe Gentlesk, Al Palmer |
Camden Courier-Post - February 9, 1933 |
COPS
AND FIREMEN WILL ELECT TODAY The
Camden Police and Firemen's Association will hold election of officers
today at its headquarters, 1175 Whitman
Avenue, from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Herbert
Bott is unopposed for re-election as president. William
Thorn is unopposed to replace Richard Middleton for financial
secretary and Walter Vecander
is unopposed for the new post of assistant
financial secretary. All these are police officers. The police trustees will be named from the following nine candidates: William Marter, George Ward, William Britner, Joseph Shreeve, William Schriber, Joseph Mardino, Joseph Dunnett, Leon Feltz and Russell Young. Two police sergeant-at-arms will be chosen from among Stanley Wirtz, Harry Cattell, Joseph Schultz and George Clayton. Three candidates are seeking the post of vice president, which goes to a fireman. They are William Spencer, Charles Edwards and Albert Dukes. Warren Rich, a fireman, is slated to succeed himself as recording secretary and Winfield Leviseur is unopposed for the new post of assistant recording secretary, which goes to a fireman. Four fireman trustees will be chosen from ten candidates. They are Charles Cook, Henry Baumgartel, Walter Eastlack, Arthur Batten, William Getner, William Toy, Lawrence Newton, James Young, Russell Anderson and William Taylor. Three firemen are seeking two posts as sergeants-at-arms. They are William Judge, John Mulligan and Furman Price. |
Camden Courier-Post - February 10, 1933 |
BOTT
CHOSEN HEAD OF POLICEMEN, FIREMEN Lauded
by the members for his splendid work in behalf of the club, Herbert
Bott,
a patrolman attached to the
Third Police District, last night was re-elected president of the Camden
Police and Firemen's Association. The
praise was heaped upon the patrolman following announcement that he had received 107 of 110 votes cast
in yesterday's balloting. He was unopposed
for reelection. In
a three-cornered fight, William
Spencer,
a fireman, was elected vice president of the association. He received 73
votes.
His opponents were Charles Edwards, given 12 votes, and
Albert
Dukes, 18 votes. Both are firemen. Others
unopposed for office were: William
Thorn,
financial secretary; Walter Vecander, assistant financial secretary;
Warren Rich, recording secretary, and Winfield
Leviseur, assistant
recording secretary. The last two are firemen while the first two are
policemen. Lieutenant
George Ward,
Patrolman William Marter, and Firemen William
Taylor,
William Getner, James
Young
and Lawrence
Newton were elected to the board of trustees. Sergeants-at-arms
named were Stanley
Wirtz
and George Clayton, police, and William
Judge and
John Mulligan,
firemen. All had opposition. After the ballots had been counted William H. Iszard, former assemblyman, appeared on behalf of the Elks Crippled Kiddies Committee, and asked police to support the wrestling show to be staged by that group February 13.. |
![]() |
Camden Courier-Post Albert Dukes
Sr. |
Camden Courier-Post * February 5, 1938 |
ALBERT DUKES, JR., APPOINTED FIREMAN Appointment of Albert Dukes, Jr., of 3803 Westfield Avenue, as a fire man, was announced yesterday by Commissioner Mary W. Kobus. Dukes father, Albert Sr., has been a Camden fireman for the past 18 years, connected with Engine Company No. 9, Twenty-seventh and Federal Streets. Dukes, Commissioner' Kobus said, will replace James Monahan, who died last Saturday in the West Jersey Hospital of kidney disease. Monahan had been a member of Engine Company No. 10, Ninth and Morgan Streets, since 1923. |
Camden Courier-Post * June 5, 1940 |
CHANGES ANNOUNCED IN FIRE DEPARTMENT Truck Disbanded, Engine Company Created; 13 Men Transferred Commissioner Mary W. Kobus yesterday announced a number of changes in the fire department, including the disbanding of Truck Company No. 4; creation of a new engine company. No. 10, and the transfer of 18 officers and men, 12 of them captains. Most of the new captains have been serving as acting captains and promotion to full rank will involve no pay increases, inasmuch as the men signed waivers foregoing the raises. Commissioner Kobus explained most of the changes were made to conform with regulations of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. The board, Mrs. Kobus explained, made a survey of the department and advised appointments of acting captains to full rank. The commissioner also announced she had appointed Junior Captain Raymond Smith as director of the school for firemen at Engine Company No. 10, Ninth and Morgan streets. Smith, one of the youngest at the recently appointed junior captains, will succeed the late Battalion Chief Rollo Jones. Senior Captain Leonard Megee was appointed acting battalion chief to succeed Jones. He will continue at the Fifth and Arch streets fire headquarters. Junior Captain William Spencer, of headquarters company, was named relief captain. Engine Company No. 10 will use
the headquarters of the old truck To the new company Mrs. Kobus assigned Senior Captain Mortica Clark and Firemen Frank Burt, Frank Esperance and Clifford Lane. Junior Captain Frank Oberman was transferred from Engine Company No. 10 to Engine Company No. 1, at fire headquarters. Other assignments are as follows: Junior Captain Robert Wonsetler, Engine Company No. 11, to Engine Company No. 2. Fireman Harry Kleinfelder, Engine Company No. 6, to Engine Company No. 2 Junior Captain Edgar Ellender, Engine Company No. 2, to Engine Company No. 6. Junior Captain Ralph Bingemann, Truck Company No. 2, to Engine Company No. 7. Fireman David Humphries, Truck Company No. 3, to Engine Company No. 11. Junior Captain Nelson Andrews, Engine Company No. 2, to Truck Company No. 1. Fireman Albert Dukes, Jr., Truck Company No. 1, to Engine Company No. 2. Junior Captain Winfield Levisuer, Truck Company No. 2, to Truck Company No. 3. Junior Captain Edward McDowell retains assignment to Engine Company No. 3. Junior Captain Maurice O’Brien assigned to Engine Company No. 10. The changes were contained in notice to the Civil Service Commission, are effective as of June 1 and will appear on the June 15 payroll. |