Introduction
Erwin Brennan, 1960
Erwin Brennan was born in Camden, New Jersey to William R. and Ellen Brennan on April 4, 1915. His father worked in the shipyards that were numerous in the neighborhood and on the Philadelphia side of the Delaware River. The family, which included older brother William Jr. lived in North Camden on the 900 block of North Front Street through 1918, and by 1924 had moved to 3 Wood Street.
Erwin Brennan’s parents divorced around 1927. His mother was soon remarried, to William Weber, who also worked in the shipyards. By April of 1930 Mr. and Mrs. Weber, their baby son William, along with Erwin and William Brennan were living at 10 York Street. The Webers remained on the unit block of York Street for many years, having moved to 12 York Street by 1947. William Brennan Sr. was still living in the immediate neighborhood as late as 1942, then working at the Noecker shipyard in Cramer Hill.
Erwin Brennan attended school through the 9th grade before, like most other boys of his era, he entered the workplace. On July 5, 1941 he was appointed to the Camden Fire Department. When the 1947 Camden City Directory was compiled, he lived in North Camden with his wife Kathryn at 50 Wood Street. Erwin Brennan later moved to 412 North 39th Street in East Camden.
Erwin Brennan passed away in August of 1974.
Funeral on Friday for Fireman Toy
Camden Courier-Post —
Fellow Members of City Department Will Act as Pallbearers
Funeral services for William Earl Toy, veteran Camden fireman who died Sunday of injuries received when the vehicle he was driving and a bus collided Saturday, will be held at 2 p. m. Friday at the residence, 607 West street.
Members of the Camden Fire Department will act as pallbearers and attend the viewing and funeral in a body. The pallbearers will be Deputy Chief William Herring, Captains Harry Wagner and Frank Oberman and Hosemen Morris Odell, Ervin Brennan and Christopher Moll.
Toy is survived by his widow, Margaret C., nee Voll, and a son William, Jr., a member of the Army Air Force stationed in Colorado, who is on his way home for the funeral.
He is survived also by his father, Lemuel, 86, who lived with his son and who was admitted to the hospital yesterday, suffering a heart ailment. His condition today was described as fair. He is unaware of his son’s death.
Toy, 45 and a member of the department 17 years, was at the wheel of Acting Chief William Van Pfefferle’s car when it collided with a west-bound Public Service bus at Sixteenth and Federal streets.
Pfefferle escaped with severe cuts and bruises but Toy suffered fractures of the thigh, arm and wrist and internal injuries, the latter proving fatal. Both men were taken to Cooper hospital, where Pfefferle’s condition today was described as good.
Engine Company 2 with New Pumper
1960
Engine Company 2 with new pumper in front of quarters, 5th & Arch Streets, 1960. Bottom row, from left: Fireman Harrison MacNeir, Chief Edward MacDowell, Fireman James Troutman, Captain Albert Weller, Fireman Charles Devlin, Fireman William Hopkins, Fireman George Hennessey; Top row, left to right: Fireman Francis Stibi, Fireman Robert Briggs, Fireman Bertram Dahl, Fireman Erwin Brennan, Captain Thomas Winstanley, Fireman Anthony Orme.
Camden Fire Department Photos
1964
Named: From Left: Joseph Guarino, Edward V. Michalak, Robert Dukes, and Ervin Brennan.
Edward Michalak Appointed Chief of Department
1965
On the occasion of Edward Michalak’s appointment to Chief of Department (seated from left) retiring Chief of Department Edward MacDowell, Chief Edward Michalak, Director Keith Kauffman; (standing from left) District Chiefs Frank Deal, Joseph Guarino, Robert Dukes, Anthony Saponare, Theodore Primas, Daniel Jiannetto, Fireman Erwin Brennan, Major William Gwynne of the Volunteers of America Fire Canteen.
Camden Fire Department Personnel Record
Erwin Brennan — Camden Fire Department Personnel Record