Introduction
Burhardt Leodegar Buenzle and his wife, the former Catherine “Kate” Albisser, lived in Cramer Hill at 1144 North 24th Street from the 1880s until their deaths in the early 1930s.
Burkhardt Leodegar Buenzle was born on October 22, 1857 in Zurich, Switzerland. His wife was born in November of 1857. The were married in Switzerland in 1878 and came to America shortly afterwards, settling first in Philadelphia, where son Joseph Anthony was born on August 26, 1880. The family was still in Philadelphia as late as 1883. By September of 1886 the Buenzles had moved to Camden. The Buenzles were Catholics and soon affiliated with St. Joseph’s Church on Howell Street in what is now East Camden.
Catherine gave birth to 12 children, sadly only one, Joseph Anthony Buenzle, survived them. A son William Joseph, born in Camden in September of 1886, died in 1913 at the age of 21. A daughter Amelia died in 1906 after childbirth. Amelia’s son, William Seidelmann, was raised by Burkhardt and Catherine. All of the other child died at birth or shortly afterward.
Catherine Buenzle died on February 17, 1930 in Camden. Her husband Burkhardt joined her on September 15, 1931.
Queer Idea of Law
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Sentenced in Camden
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Stockton Jottings
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Stockton Liquor Licenses
Philadelphia Inquirer —
The new chief of police yesterday saw ten men come out of the side door of an alleged speak-easy kept by Burkhart Buenzle. He slipped in and tasted a glass of beer. He says he will make a complaint before Recorder Miles to-day.
Stockton’s Town Council
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Number of Liquor Licenses Were Granted Last Night.
At a meeting of Stockton’s Town Council last night the annual report of the town treasurer showed a balance on hand of $15,522.83. An ordinance was passed for the issuance of $10,000 bonds for general school improvements.
The following liquor licenses were granted: First ward, John G. Schramm, Walter W. Sellard, Moritz Gratz, John Hoosey, George Doerfuss, Louis Everly, Joseph Diehm, C. L. Dietz, Jacob Walz, B. L. Buenzle, Captain Merritt Hall.
Second ward, Gottlieb Jung, George W. Sterling, Charles Kleemann, Isaac Adams, George W. Spicks, Mrs. Andrews, Frederick Wolfinger, John J. Trost, Jacob Bendinger, August Muench, John Costello, Gotthard Eisener.
Third ward, Harry G. Vennell, Charles L. Zeller, John Gallagher.
The applications of Thomas Tracy and Frederick Lechleimer were refused, and the application of Mrs. Sell was laid over.
Stockton Liquor Licenses
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Town Council Grants a Number of Applications
At a meeting of Stockton Town Council last night the following retail liquor licenses were granted: John Hoosey, Geo. Doerfuss, Dorothy Feil, John G. Schramm, Louis Everly, B. L. Buenzle, Jacob Bauck, Valentine Doerr, B. J. Lyons, Thomas Tracy, Isaac H. Adams, George W. Sterling, Charles Kleeman, William Denneller, Gotthard Eisener, Jacob Bendinger, George W. Spicks, August Muench, John Costello, Dora Andrews, John Hafner, Charles T. Zoller, John J. Gallagher, Harry G. Vennell, Charles Mangold, Merritt Hall, John J. Trost, Frederick Wolfinger, Jacob Walz. C. L. Dietz and Frank Grunert were granted wholesale licenses.
Social News
Philadelphia Inquirer —
The Carnation Social was organized in the East Side, Camden, last night. The object of the organization is to give entertainments for the benefit of the poor. These officers were elected: President, Joseph J. Gross; vice presidents, Miss Kathryne O’Neil and John J. Tischner; corresponding secretary, Miss Agnes O’Neil; financial secretary, James Wharton; trustees, Miss A. Buenzle, Frank Debold and J. J. Tischner.
Golden Wedding Anniversary
Camden Courier-Post —
Today is a red letter day in a little home at 1144 North Twenty-fourth street, for Mr. and Mrs. Burkhard Buenzle, who are each 70 years old, are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
But there’s more to the story than that. The account of the aged pair’s romance reads like a thrilling melodrama. Here it is by acts:
Characters
BURKHARD BUENZLE—A dashing young officer in the Swiss Army, dressed in the gayest uniform his rank allows.
KATHARINE ALBISSON—A pretty, unsophisticated young woman, 20 years old, just the age of the officer.
Act One
The action takes place in the spring of 1877 on the outskirts of a little village in County Luzern, Switzerland. Peasants are gathering around the community well to draw their day’s supply of water. It is the “social center” of the neighborhood.
Katharine appears on the scene. She fills two earthen buckets and starts down the road for home. The young officer spies her.
He catches up with her and carries the buckets for her. He tells her of his adventures in the army. His gay uniform dazzles her. He promises to meet her every day while he is home on leave of absence and carry her water buckets for her.
Act Two
It is six months later. The pretty girl and the young officer have gone on a day’s outing up the side of one of the Alps. They are talking of love and marriage as they climb.
A rock on the path gives way. She begins to fall. There is a drop of more than 1,000 feet below her. Just in the nick of time, Buenzle drags her back to safety. They decide to wed.
Act Three
It is 50 years later. In the little Camden house on Twenty-fourth street, Mr. and Mrs. Buenzle are reminiscing. They discuss their wedding in 1878, just a few months after the thrilling rescue in the Alps.
Then their minds skip to the day they set sail for America, two years later. Then to Philadelphia, where they lived from 1880 until 1883, when they moved to Camden.
But a telegram from the only one of their 12 children still living, a young New York architect, brings them back to the present.
“Do you smoke? Do you drink? What do you think of flappers? Do you think you will live to a ripe old age? What is your advice to those who may wish to be as hale at 70 as you are?” he is asked.
He pulls out a large black cigar and lights it as his first reply. He admits quite candidly that he takes a nip of wine occasionally; he sees no harm in it. He hasn’t any ideas at all about the “younger generation;” he’s too busy cutting wood to bother about them. He fully expects to live to 100 years old and he advises plenty of hard work as his recipe for longevity.
He explains, in leaving for the wood pile, that he is a retired machinist, but spends his time in the summer selling eggs laid by his chickens and in the winter chopping wood.
Acknowledgment
Thanks to Joan Martin, the great-grandaughter of Burkhardt and Catherine Buenzle, for her help in creating this web page.