Introduction
Enos B. Dellmuth
Enos Bowen Dellmuth was born on October 24, 1884 in New Jersey to Henry Dellmuth and his wife, the former Christina “Anna” Hahn, who were both born in Germany, and who met and married in the United States. By 1880 the Dellmuth family had taken up residence at 618 Front Street in Camden, where Henry Dellmuth operated a bakery. His maternal grandfather, John Daniel Hahn, briefly operated a saloon at 120 Market Street in the early 1880s. Henry Dellmuth passed away at the age of 44, around 1895. He left his family well off, and Enos Dellmuth completed his education.
Enos Dellmuth was married by 1908, when his wife Florence bore their eldest son, Carl Dellmuth. Four daughters followed: Ethel, Dorothy, Marian, and Mary. By 1920 the Dellmuth family had purchased a home at 426 Chambers Avenue in Camden. Enos Dellmuth was at that time a salesman for the C. Howard Hunt Pen Company on State Street in North Camden. He became the manager of the eastern division of the company by 1928.
Enos Dellmuth was active in the fraternal, political, and civic life of Camden in the 1910s and 1920s. He was a member of Trimble Lodge, No. 117 Free and Accepted Masons, the Camden Lodge 293 of the Elks, the Camden Shrine Club, and many other organizations. He was a charter member of the Camden Rotary Club. A Republican, he was a member of the Ninth Ward Republican Club, and served as President and Vice-President of that group.
The Dellmuth family had a summer home at Seaside Heights, NJ. In the summer of 1928 he had been called to serve as the foreman of the Camden County grand jury. On Friday, September 7, 1928 he was driving to Camden from Seaside Heights when he suffered a mini-stroke. Instead of seeking medical treatment, he continued to the courthouse, where he fulfilled his civic duty on the last day of the jury’s term. Shortly after the end of business, he complained of severe pains in his head, and was taken home by his fellow jurors. Doctors Wesley Barrett and Everett Schull diagnosed Mr. Dellmuth as suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage. Enos B. Dellmuth passed away on September 9, 1928.
Enos B. Dellmuth was buried at Harleigh Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and children, and an older sister, Mrs. Anna Dellmuth Hauser. More than 1000 people came to pay their respects at his funeral, which was held in his home. Among those who came were Congressman Charles A. Wolverton, State Senator Joseph Forsyth, Mayor Winfield S. Price, former mayor Frank S. Van Hart, and many other of his business, political, and fraternal contemporaries. Reverend Edwin Forrest Hann of Broadway Methodist Church officiated at his funeral.
The Dellmuth family remained on Chambers Avenue into the 1930s. Florence Dellmuth never remarried. She later lived in Collingswood, NJ, until her passing in February of 1981. Marian Dellmuth graduated from Camden High School in 1932. Carl Dellmuth graduated from Swarthmore University in Swarthmore, PA in 1931. He returned to Swarthmore in 1938, and worked for the school for many years as its alumni secretary. His office became the foundation of Swarthmore’s alumni relations, public relations, and development programs.
Prepare. Memorial Resolutions
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Prepare. Memorial Resolutions
At the opening of the September term of the Camden county courts yesterday Judge Kates presided in the absence of Supreme Court Justice Garrison, who is ill. It was stated that there was nothing of importance to require special attention. A committee consisting of Herbert A. Drake, Howard M. Cooper and J. Truman Stackhouse was appointed to prepare resolutions on the death of the late George J. Bergen. Enos B. Dellmuth, of the Ninth ward, is the foreman of the new grand jury and the other members are Louis Clark, Charles A. Duncan, F. L. Peach, W. J. Coxey, Herbert Corson, Elmer Deputy, Herbert C. Felton, W. B. McMullin, Joseph B. Davis, Charles D. Phillips, Ephraim Gill, Charles Austermuhl, Samuel Mackler, Frank C. Dall, J. H. Knerr, Charles M. Curry, Isaiah Hatch, Hary [sic] M. Dease, Elmer F. Edwards, Thomas J. Wright and Anthony J. Oberst.
Enos B. Dellmuth Dies from Stroke
Camden Courier-Post —
Death Ascribed to Devotion to Duty as Grand Jury Foreman
Enos B. Dellmuth, 43, prominent civic leader and foreman of the June term of Camden county grand jury, died at his home, 426 Chambers street, yesterday following a stroke at the close of the jury’s last session on Friday.
Dellmuth died a martyr to his duty, according to the members of his family and his friends. He had not been feeling well for about five weeks, but continued to attend the grand jury sessions every Tuesday. Finally his condition became such that he could not attend the regular session last Tuesday.
He was staying at his summer home in Seaside Heights last Friday when he was notified that the grand jury would meet that afternoon to make its final presentment to Judge Samuel M. Shay. As the foreman must sign all true bills and recommendations, Dellmuth motored to this city. While he was driving he suffered a slight stroke, but he continued to the courthouse.
Some premonition of serious illness and possibly death must have come to him during the meeting, for while the grand jurors discussed a resolution calling upon the board of freeholders to appropriate more money for a Camden charitable institution one of the jurors, who knew that Dellmuth was a candidate for freeholder from the Ninth, remarked,
“I guess that will be taken care of when Mr. Dellmuth gets on the freeholder board.”
“I don’t know about that,” Dellmuth was heard to mutter.
A few minutes after the jury had been officially dismissed by Judge Shay, the foreman complained of severe pains in the head, and he was accompanied to his home by fellow jurors. His condition rapidly grew worse, and Dr. Wesley Barrett diagnosed his ailment as cerebral hemorrhage. Dr. Elliott Schull and two specialists confirmed the diagnosis.
Dellmuth would have been 44 on October 24. According to members of his family, he always dreaded his forty-fourth birthday, as his father and a sister had died in their forty-fourth year.
The deceased served four years as councilman from the Ninth ward, and was the Republican candidate for freeholder at the coming general election. He was a former president of the Ninth Ward Republican Club and at the time of his death was vice-president. He was a member of Excelsior Consistory, Trimble Lodge, No. 117, F. & A. M.; Camden Shrine Club; A. A. O. N. M. S., of Trenton; The Seven O’Clock Club of Philadelphia; Camden Elks, Camden Rotary Club and other civic associations. He was manager of the eastern division of the C. Howard Hunt Pen Company, Camden.
The deceased is survived by his wife, Florence D.; his sister, Mrs. A. Dellmuth Hauser, of Camden; a son, Carl, former Camden High School three-letter athlete and now a student at Swarthmore College, and four daughters, Ethel, Dorothy, Marian and Mary.
The members of the grand jury will convene tomorrow evening and go to the Dellmuth residence to pay their last respects. The members of the Ninth Ward Republican Club, of which Edward Holloway is president, will meet 8 p.m. tomorrow at 836 Broadway and then visit the home of the late vice-president.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at his late residence. Masonic and Elk services will also be held. Interment will be in Harleigh Cemetery.
Many Pay Respects at Dellmuth Bier
Camden Courier-Post —
Services Over Former Councilman Held at Chambers Avenue Home
Scores of prominent Camden officials and former office holders will be among the mourners who will attend funeral services to be held this afternoon for Enos B. Dellmuth, former city councilman and foreman of the June term of Camden county grand jury.
Services will be held 2 p.m. at his late residence, 426 Chambers avenue. Rev. Edwin Forrest Hann, pastor of the Broadway M. E. Church, will officiate. Pall bearers will be business associates from the C. Howard Hunt Pen Company, Camden, where he was manager of the eastern district, and members of the Ninth Ward Republican Club. Interment will be in Harleigh Cemetery.
More than 1000 people viewed his body last night and this morning. Among those were Congressman Charles A. Wolverton, Mayor Winfield S. Price, State Senator Joseph Forsyth, former Mayor Van Hart, the present city commissioners and former Camden councilmen who were contemporaries of the deceased.
The Camden Elks and Masonic lodges of which Dellmuth was a member held services last night, while members of the grand jury of which the deceased was a leader, visited the home.
Dellmuth succumbed Sunday of cerebral hemorrhages after he was stricken while leaving the Court House last Friday. He had been recuperating at Seaside Heights but was called back to attend the final meeting of the grand jury Friday. Although he suffered a slight stroke while driving from the shore to the Court House, he attended the session.
Chambers Avenue, Looking North from Washington Street
circa 1900
Chambers Street, looking north from Washington Street, around 1900. 426 Chambers is on the right side of the street, near the red mark.