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PRIVATE JOHN CUNNINGHAM
was born December 10, 1890 in Gloucester City NJ, the son of George and Elizabeth
Cunningham. His father worked
on the ferries that crossed the Delaware between New
Jersey and Philadelphia at Kaighn Avenue, first as a fireman and later
as a watchman. The family lived at 432 Cumberland Street at the time of
the 1900 Census, and had moved to 1221
South 2nd
Street, just off of
Kaighn Avenue, by 1910.
The family had moved to 1748
Fillmore Street
by 1914.
When he registered for the
draft on June 5, 1917 John Cunningham was working as a carpenter at the
McAndrews & Forbes licorice factory on
Jefferson Street in
Camden,
New Jersey. He was living with his parents at 1748
Fillmore Street, a
short walk
from his job. Single at the time, he noted on his draft card that he had
a "bad right arm".
Before going overseas, John
Cunningham
married, and lived with his wife Olive
M. Cunningham near the home of his parents on
Fillmore Street. He
was serving in France as a member of the 303rd Ammunition
Train, 78th Infantry Division, when he was crushed to death between two
motor trucks on January 28, 1918. He was buried at Semur, France with
full military honors, then re-interred at the St. Mihiel American Cemetery,
Thiaucourt, France.
John Cunningham was
survived by his parents, his wife, and a daughter that was born shortly
after he died, named Olive, after her mother. Also surviving were
brothers, James and William, a sister, Elizabeth, and a step-sister,
Martha Whilden. The Cunningham family was still at 1748
Fillmore Street
into the 1930s.
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