Bertie Pennington

Rank: Private, U.S. Army

Unit: 116th Engineer Regiment, 41st Infantry Division

Entered service from: New Jersey

Died: October 7, 1918

Buried at: Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Fere-en-Tardenois, France — Plot D, Row 3, Grave 32

Private Bertie Pennington was born in Staffordshire, England in December of 1897 to Henry Pennington and his wife, the former Mary Ann Reader. He was the fifth of seven children. Henry Pennington had come to America in the early 1900s, and had sent for his wife and children in the summer of 1904. The family had lived in the town of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Bertie Pennington arrived in America from Liverpool aboard the SS Celtic with his mother, Mary Ann Pennington, and brothers Thomas, John Allen, Harry, William, and Charles on September 16, 1904. Another brother, Howard, was born in New Jersey around 1907. The Penningtons originally lived at 402 Mount Vernon Street in Camden, NJ.

Bertie Pennington’s family lived at 900 Penn Street in Camden. Bertie Pennington had married and lived with his wife Laura at 952 South 5th Street prior to his enlisting in the United States Army on June 3, 1918. He was sent to Camp Humphreys, Virginia, where he received training in the 5th and later in the 2nd Engineer Training Regiments. From there he was sent overseas, and was re-assigned to the 116th Engineer Regiment, 41st Infantry Division.

Private Bertie Pennington died of pneumonia while serving in France on October 7, 1918. Sadly, his brother Harry, who had been running a grocery at 9th and Penn Street, died of pneumonia brought on by Spanish influenza six days later, a victim of the same epidemic that had taken his soldier brother overseas.

Private Pennington was survived by his wife, of 3003 Westfield Avenue in East Camden, his mother and brothers John Allen and William, both serving overseas, brothers Charles and Howard, of 950 South 9th Street, Camden, and brother Thomas, of 1008 Newton Avenue, Camden. The Pennington family all had moved out of Camden by 1930, going for the most part to Audubon, NJ.

Gold Star Mothers will be the honor guests at the first annual military ball of the Camden Post, No. 980, Veterans of Foreign Wars, to be held on Friday evening, February 3, in the Elks ballroom, Seventh and Cooper Streets.

Elaborate plans for this ball are under the chairmanship of John S. Pennington.

Invitations have been issued for patrons and patronesses and the list will be announced early next week.

Gold Star Mothers to attend the affair are Mrs. C. Alberger, Mrs. Harriett Ablett, Mrs. Laura Brown, Mrs. A. Crangel, Mrs. A. Cassidey, Mrs. R. Dilks, Mrs. Kate Geist, Mrs. M. Griffen, Mrs. Horace B. Keebler, Mrs. H. Kirk, Mrs. Ross Leahy, Mrs. M. A. Matson, Mrs. M. McGuckin, Mrs. Mary Martin, Mrs. M. Matthews, Mrs. Cooling Pond, Mrs. Oliver Powell*, Mrs. Mary Pennington, Mrs. C. Rolk, Mrs. E. Simons, Mrs. Mary Schucker, Mrs. Margaret Steigerwald, Mrs. Annie Taylor, Mrs. M. Osborn, Mrs. Mary Keegan, Mrs. Anna Kennedy, Mrs. T.C. Young and Mrs. Walters.

Assisting Mr. Pennington in planning this ball are John Rouh, James W. Connor, Charles Bozian, Robert MacMahon, Edward Watson, David Lukoff, Harry Laxton, Edward A. Stark, George Jones, William V. Long, Joseph Keefe, Charles Blank and Marvel Passwater.

*Newspaper error — Mrs. Oliver Powell was actually Mrs. Oliver Purnell.