Frank A. Oberman
FRANK ANTHONY OBERMAN was born on August 25, 1890 to William and Tekla Oberman in Philadelphia. The family name was originally spelled Obermann, and different documents show the name spelled both ways. His parents were born in Germany. They came to America in 1882. His father was a saloonkeeper, and the family remained in the bar business in Camden for five decades. They appear to have moved to Camden in 1895, as they first appear in City Directories in 1896.
The 1896 City Directory and the 1900 Census shows the family living at 1618 Ferry Avenue, near the corner of Ferry Avenue and Jackson Street. Besides Frank the family included older brother William Jr. The Obermans were still at 1618 Ferry Avenue as late as 1904.
By 1906 the Obermans had moved to 505 Main Street in North Camden where they operated a bar that would come to be known as the Main Cafe. The bar was still in the family’s hands as late as 1947. Frank Oberman worked in the family business as a bartender as late as June of 1917, when he registered for the draft.
Frank Oberman married Emily McQueen not long after registering for the draft. They were living at 947 Elm Street with Emily’s son, Herbert and Walter when the 1919 Camden City Directory was compiled.
According to the 1920 Census, he worked as a “machine hand” at the Victor Talking Machine Co. factory in Camden before going to work as a fire fighter. He was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on November 23, 1920, and reported for duty on January 1, 1921 with Engine Company 4. He was serving with Engine Company 10 when promoted to Junior Captain in 1940, and with Engine Company 1 when promoted to Senior Captain in February of 1943. From October 1, 1944 through September 1, 1945 Frank Oberman worked as Acting Battalion Chief, and from December 16, 1949 through November 1, 1953 he served as Acting District Chief. He was transferred to the Fire Marshal’s office on March 1, 1955 and retired on June 1, 1955. Frank A. Oberman lived out his days at 947 Elm Street. He died in March of 1965, survived by his wife, Emily G. Oberman, and a stepson, Walter McQueen.
Brother firefighter Harry Kleinfelder boarded with Frank and Emily Oberman from the late 1920s until his death in 1958.
World War I Draft Card
Named: Frank A. Obermann, Registration Card No. 93, Camden, New Jersey, and June 5, 1917.
New Firemen Assigned for Two Platoons
Camden Post-Telegram —
NEW FIREMEN ASSIGNED FOR TWO PLATOONS
Double Shift System Becomes Effective at 8 O’clock on Saturday Morning
One Ten Hours; Other 14 Hours
Saturday morning at 8 o’clock the two-platoon system of the Fire Department becomes effective. At that hour the first shift will go on duty and remain until 6 p. m., when the second squad goes on, remaining until 8 a. m. That will be the procedure in the department henceforth, the schedule being so arranged that every third day there will be a 24-hour shift to let the other off. Every man will have 24 hours off every sixth day.
The arrangements were completed last night at a meeting of Council’s Fire Committee, when assignments were made of the fifty-six recent appointees to the department. With Chief Carter at headquarters will be stationed in reserve shifts Deputy Chiefs Nicholas and Patterson. Battalion Chiefs Wade and Browning will be stationed with their shifts at No. 3 engine house.
At last night’s meeting Congressman F. F. Patterson, Jr., Mayor Charles H. Ellis, President of Council David Jester and Chairman of the Fire Committee Joseph Forsyth made addresses in which they all spoke appreciatively of the fire-fighting force and offered their congratulations to the men in getting what they had sought after many years of effort. Chief Carter was particularly praised for the efficient manner in which he has developed the department. The chief also spoke, thanking the representatives of the city in behalf of the men for the boon given them in the two-platoon system, which means the fire fighters will be able to spend more time with their families.
Everything has been worked out to the least detail and it is anticipated the new system will work without any difficulties.
The assignment of the new men to the various companies follow:
Engine Company No. 1—Alfred E. Green, Charles Errickson, Charles Cook, Leroy Hatchett.
Engine Company No. 2—Howard Lamdon, Edgar Ellander, John K. Voll, Harold E. Lorang, Chester J. Andreas, Harry G. Layton.
Engine Company No. 3—Charles Haines, August Haverkamp, Louis Quinton, Chas. S. Clements, Frank Kuda.
Engine Company No. 4—Frank A. Obermann, Walter P. Gray, Albert Ruber, Fred Schucker, Harry Kleinfelder.
Engine Company No. 5—Richard A. Ferris, Frank Fennrio.
Engine Company No. 6—William H. Reed, Manuel J. Kane, Edward Perairia, Thomas Shanahan, Rocco di Varino.
Engine Company No. 7—August Scholl, Lawrence H. Matthews, Nicholas Romain.
Engine Company No. 8—Adam Mead, Frank Sapp, William J. Taylor, William Wood, Samuel Oshushek, Edward C. Crane.
Engine Company No. 9—Keenard Naylor, Daniel McSurdy, John Mohofeld.
Engine Company No. 10—William Swarts, Hugh Rementer, Harry Greenan, Rocco Abbott.
Hose and Chemical Company No. 2—Lawrence Newton, Edward Hauser, William Getner.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 1—Tom Cunningham, Leonard Magee.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 2—John Gaylor, Walter G. White.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 3—David Ellis, George A. Addison, John Mulligan, David Humphreys, Albert Dukes.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 4—George A. Quimby.
Chief’s driver—Tenny G. Hutchinson.
Cops and Firemen in First Practice
Camden Courier-Post —
Named: Charles Younger, Y.M.C.A., Lewis H. Stehr Jr., Joseph Connell, John W. Golden, Charles T. Humes, Archie Riess, Walter A. Mertz, and Engine Company 1.
Named: Everett Joslin, Joseph McDonald, Vernon Jones, Frank Nelson, William Rogers, Harold Dunnit, John Bright, Edwin Callahan, Walter Larson, August Pflederer, Clarence Phifer, Thomas Welch, Stanley Wirtz, Charles Naylor, George Rothwell, Richard Donnelly, Lester Gleason, and Joseph Keefe.
Named: Fred Schucker, Harry Wagner, Chris Moll, Harry Layton, Edgar Ellender, August Haverkamp, Frank Kuda, Harry Kleinfelder, William Foehle, Thomas Shanahan, Harrison Pike, Lester Anderson, William Wood, George Townsend, Allen Palmer, William Swartz, Nelson Till, William Mountney, John A. Strauss, Frank Oberman, Edward Menzies, John Mulligan, Frank Kates, Clifford Lane, Nelson Andrews, Harry Leigh, John Lennox, William Merrigan, Howard Walker, Harry Greenan, Peter Laird
Camden Motorcycle Sporting Club: Joseph Bernart, Frank DeViney, Carl Preisendanz, Edward Paul, Charles Ellis, George Gummel, Bennett Arnold, and Clayton Albertson.
Changes Announced in Fire Department
Camden Courier-Post —
Truck Disbanded, Engine Company Created; 13 Men Transferred
Commissioner Mary W. Kobus yesterday announced a number of changes in the fire department, including the disbanding of Truck Company No. 4; creation of a new engine company. No. 10, and the transfer of 18 officers and men, 12 of them captains.
Most of the new captains have been serving as acting captains and promotion to full rank will involve no pay increases, inasmuch as the men signed waivers foregoing the raises.
Commissioner Kobus explained most of the changes were made to conform with regulations of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. The board, Mrs. Kobus explained, made a survey of the department and advised appointments of acting captains to full rank.
The commissioner also announced she had appointed Junior Captain Raymond Smith as director of the school for firemen at Engine Company No. 10, Ninth and Morgan streets. Smith, one of the youngest at the recently appointed junior captains, will succeed the late Battalion Chief Rollo Jones.
Senior Captain Leonard Megee was appointed acting battalion chief to succeed Jones. He will continue at the Fifth and Arch streets fire headquarters.
Junior Captain William Spencer, of headquarters company, was named relief captain.
Engine Company No. 10 will use the headquarters of the old truck company, at Ninth and Morgan streets.
To the new company Mrs. Kobus assigned Senior Captain Mortica Clark and Firemen Frank Burt, Frank Esperance and Clifford Lane.
Junior Captain Frank Oberman was transferred from Engine Company No. 10 to Engine Company No. 1, at fire headquarters.
Other assignments are as follows:
Junior Captain Robert Wonsetler, Engine Company No. 11, to Engine Company No. 2.
Fireman Harry Kleinfelder, Engine Company No. 6, to Engine Company No. 2.
Junior Captain Edgar Ellender, Engine Company No. 2, to Engine Company No. 6.
Junior Captain Ralph Bingemann, Truck Company No. 2, to Engine Company No. 7.
Fireman David Humphries, Truck Company No. 3, to Engine Company No. 11.
Junior Captain Nelson Andrews, Engine Company No. 2, to Truck Company No. 1.
Fireman Albert Dukes, Jr., Truck Company No. 1, to Engine Company No. 2.
Junior Captain Winfield Levisuer, Truck Company No. 2, to Truck Company No. 3.
Junior Captain Edward McDowell retains assignment to Engine Company No. 3.
Junior Captain Maurice O’Brien assigned to Engine Company No. 10.
The changes were contained in notice to the Civil Service Commission, are effective as of June 1 and will appear on the June 15 payroll.
World War II Draft Card
World War II Draft Registration Card for Frank Anthony Obermann.
Funeral on Friday for Fireman Toy
Camden Courier-Post —
FUNERAL ON FRIDAY FOR FIREMAN TOY
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 Forces 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.
2 Firemen Given Merit Awards
Camden Courier-Post —
Two Camden firemen today were presented with Merit Board certificates of special mention for outstanding service, by Chief William V. Pfefferle.
They are Capt. Frank A. Oberman, acting district fire chief, of 947 Elm st., and Chief’s Aide James Stewart, of 532 Elm st.
On March 6 Capt. Oberman and his aide were the first arrivals at a fire at 418 N. 7th st. Smoke and flames were shooting from the house when they reached the scene and neighbors told them a woman was on the second floor of the house.
Oberman and Stewart, running through dense smoke and flames, found Miss Mary Lee, 52, unconscious in her second-floor rear apartment. They carried her to safety. Miss Lee required treatment at Cooper Hospital for burns on her face and hands.
Frank Oberman, Ex-Fireman, Dies
Camden Courier-Post —
Frank A. Oberman, 75, of 947 Elm st., retired veteran city fireman, died Sunday in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Mr. Oberman, who lived most of his life in Camden, joined the fire department Nov. 23, 1920, and was made a captain April 2, 1940. He retired in June, 1955 after 35 years.
Mr. Oberman is survived by his wife, Emily G., and a stepson, Walter MacQueen.
Services will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Murray Funeral Home, 408 Cooper st., where friends may call tomorrow after 7 p.m. Burial will be in Arlington Cemetery.
Fire Department Personnel Card
Frank A. Oberman – Camden Fire Department personnel card