Introduction
James O. Jones, Camden Fire Department
JAMES ORLANDO JONES was born on December 5, 1915 in Camden, New Jersey, the child of George E. Jones and his wife, the former Susan Sweeney. The 1918–1919 Camden City Directory shows the family at 613 Linwood Street in North Camden. The family lived in January of 1920 at 916 Elm Street. There were 4 other children in the family, older siblings Georgianna, Myrtle, and Charles, as well as baby sister Grace Jones. George Jones passeed away in January of 1922. By the time the 1924 City Directory was compiled Susan Jones and her children had moved to 508 North 8th Street.
By 1930 the household consisted of James Jones, his mother, and sister Grace. They were then renting a home at 938 Fern Street.
James O. Jones married Doris Fitzgerald during the 1930s. They had six children, three boys and three girls. Sadly, a son, James O. Jones Jr. died in infancy in 1941.
The 1943 and the 1947 Camden City Directory lists James O. Jones and his wife Doris at 544 Bailey Street in North Camden. He was working as a machinist at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards when on August 19, 1944 he was appointed to the Camden Fire Department. He reported for duty on April 21, 1944 with Ladder Company 1.
The 1959 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory shows James O. Jones at 707 Berkley Street. Fire Department records also indicate that he resided at one time or another at 416 North 2nd Street and 2927 Mickle Street.
On November 28, 1957 James O. Jones was transferred to Ladder Company 3, based in East Camden at North 27th Street and Federal Street. On March 4, 1962 he was designated Chief’s Aide. He served in that capacity until May 1, 1969 when he was promoted to Captain. He was subsequently assigned to Engine Company 1.
By 1969 James O. Jones had moved to 3214 Mitchell Street in East Camden. He was still living there as late as the fall of 1970.
On March 1, 1970 Captain Jones was assigned to Ladder Company 3, where he served for the next five years and two months.
James O. Jones retired on pension after having served for over 31 years with the Camden Fire Department on May 1, 1975. By October of 1977 he had moved out of the City of Camden, heading south for Florida.
Last a resident of Brooksville, Florida, James O. Jones passed away on January 26, 1996, survived by his wife Doris A. Jones, five children, and a number of grandchildren.
Monkey Is Trapped by Banana
Camden Courier-Post —
THE NICE THING ABOUT THE JUNGLE is that there are no firemen in it. This was the opinion of the monkey (in the cage) who is being escorted to the ground by (left to right) acting Captain James Jones and Firemen George Hennessey and Wesley Faust. The monkey, who had been hiding out for five days on the rooftop at 333 Mickle Street, was captured in an SPCA wire and wool trap today.
Monkey Is Trapped by Banana
By Warner Olivier
Human beings today won another round in their perpetual struggle to prove they are smarter than other primates.
A fire truck with an aerial ladder, three sweating firemen, two perspiring Courier-Post photographers and an SPCA task force were required to bring to earth (in a cage) a monkey who, up to this morning, had been making monkeys of all the well-meaning folk who had been trying to trap him on the rooftop of 333 Mickle st., where he had gone five days ago for whatever purpose monkeys do go on rooftops on Mickle st.
Near Whitman House
The whole performance would have tickled Walt Whitman across the street from whose house it all happened. The good grey monkey — for that’s the color he is — was not noticeably amused. He had a rather thoughtful look.
It was hunger that finally proved the hefty young simian’s undoing. The SPCA had rigged a wool and wire trap, baited with bananas, on the rooftop Wednesday. This didn’t seem very promising because the monkey merely reached in and took a banana without springing the trap. John Adams, of the SPCA staff, then made some improvements in the trap and this morning it worked. The monkey got the banana but the trap got him.
Since children of the neighborhood had been maintaining a constant vigil, some of them even climbing to the roof of the house, the SPCA was promptly notified and the rescue battalions began to converge.
No. 1 Truck breezed down to Mickle st. So did Courier-Post photographers. The heavy aerial ladder was run up to the roof of 333. Up the ladder went acting Capt. James Jones and Firemen Wesley Faust and George Hennessy to join forces with Adams, who was already there. On the sidewalk stood Mrs. Agnes Stack, supervisor of the SPCA Shelter. In the street also stood probably a hundred spectators, of all ages. The photographers deployed themselves. One lunged boldly up the ladder. The other, just as bold, but frustrated, mounted the truck to get a picture of the monkey on the way down the ladder.
Owner Unknown
A safety rope was tied around the big cage in which the monkey cursed in a restrained fashion and occasionally tried to sock a fireman. Fireman Faust, carrying the lower end, backed down the ladder. Fireman Hennessy came down face first, carrying the upper end of the case. Capt. Jones held the safety rope from the roof.
Cameras snapped.
Once on the street, the monkey looked at the little throng of human beings as if they were something in a cage. Then he was whirled away to the Shelter in the SPCA cage.
The owner of the monkey has not come forward to claim him. The two are reported to have parted on bad terms.
HE SOLD HIS FREEDOM for a banana. The monkey who cavorted for five days on the rooftop of 333 Mickle Street, having been snared in an SPCA trap baited with bananas, is being examined in his cage by acting Captain James Jones (right) and Fireman Wesley Faust of Truck No. 1.
Firemen Here Get Advanced First Aid Course
Camden Courier-Post —
More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter’s first aid committee.
Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.
All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and truck company 1. these groups include:
Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and albert weller; Edward Brendlinger, harrison macneir, Robert Olesiewicz and james w. smith.
Headquarters Company: raymond banford, John K. Voll and john w. yates.
Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and otto v. kaiser; William Watkin, chester gedrich, George Baxter, john mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, joseph mctaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and elmer johnson jr.
Engine Company 2: Captains James R. Asher, Thomas Winstanley; Carl Wirtz, james mcgrory, Edwin V. Decker, james stewart, Francis X. McTaggart, anthony t. orme, Mario D. Fattore, james o. jones, Francis P. Stibi, william hopkins, Robert E. Briggs, John Giuliano, casper martelli, Harold H. Pike, john j. vane, William Stibi, john dimaggio and Harry Kleinfelder.
Camden Courier-Post — June 28, 1968
Camden Courier-Post —
Courier-Post Bureau
TRENTON — The high rate of failures on police and fire examinations was repeated yesterday in the Civil Service Department’s announcement of the results of tests for fire captain and patrolman in Camden City.
In the captain’s test, 23 passed, 64 failed and two did not show up for the test. In the test for patrolman, 10 passed, 32 failed and 14 failed to show. In the non-residents’ test for Camden patrolman, six passed, eight failed and five did not appear.
In the fire captain’s test, Kenneth M. Clark of 111 North 26th St., Camden, a veteran, qualified with a score of 92.6, highest for the seven veterans who qualified. Joseph R. Gfrorer of 3040 N. Constitution Road, Camden, was highest of applicants with a score of 96.5.
In the residents’ patrolman test, Robert D. Craig of 817 Vine Street was high with 78. In the non resident’s test, Edwin B. Hoffman of 514 Walnut Street, Audubon, a veteran qualified with 72.2 and Flem J. Hopkins Jr. of 113 Estates Ave., Pine Hill, was high with 78.
Others who passed the fire captain’s test were:
George D. Getty of 1111 N. 34 St., 95.4; John DiMaggio of 319 Beckett St., 94; Joseph J. Anderson of 2406 Denfield St., 92.96; Phillip A. Maycott of 2836 Lincoln Ave., 90.5; James McMaster of 402 N. 37th St., 90.2; William D. Hillman of 3071 Constitution Rd., 89.4; Joseph Arensberg of 1041 N. 32nd St., 88.3; Robert E. Briggs of 2861 Congress Road, veteran, 86.3; John S. Brzozowski of 371 N. 34th St., 86.2; Edmund F. Gorczynski of 272 N. 33rd St., veteran, 85.4; Anthony F. Orme of 3317 River Ave., veteran, 82.4; William J. Young of 1126 N. 33rd St., 80.5; William D. Ayers of 2846 Pierce Ave., veteran, 79.1; Joseph Dowhy Sr., of 866 Beideman Ave., veteran, 78.9; James O. Jones of 3214 Mitchell St., 78.3; Joseph Chelhowski of 1324 Sheridan St., veteran, 75.8; James T. Robinson of 504 Trenton Ave., 75.5; Anthony D. Moffa of 23 Leonard Ave., 73.3; Robert E. Davenport of 1026 Reeves Ave., 73; John F. Gaffney Jr., of 78 S. Dudley St., 72.8, and Albert E. Collum Jr., of 2409 Howell St., 72.6.
Patrolman (residents) who passed:
Joseph A. Fox of 2117 Mount Ephraim Ave., 77.1; Charles W. Cahilly 2d of 2015 Westminster Ave., 75.; Edward B. Bush of 3210 Mitchell St., 78.9; John F. Oppmann of 550 N. 30th St., 77.7; Gary E. Miller of 486-A Rand St., 77.4; Donald J. Tymusczuk of 2737 Concord Ave., 75.1; Joseph A. Broccoli of 1467 Pershing St., 74.2; Richard W. Merta of 1641 Pulaski St., 72.9, and Robert G. Gibson of 572 Clinton St., 72.6.
Patrolman (nonresidents) who passed:
Flem J. Hopkins Jr., 78; Elwood L. Ridge, 75.4; Joseph E. Benton, 74.7; David Vautier Jr., 74.1, and Frank R. Pedano, 73.8.
Service Record
James O. Jones — Camden Fire Department service record
Family Remembrance
When the power went out that Tuesday night in January, we didn’t think too much about it. What we didn’t know was that Mother was trying to get in touch with us because Daddy was in the hospital. He had a stroke and was listed in critical condition. Carol finally got through to us on Wednesday evening. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep that night. I had to go to work and get the payroll run and pay the bills. We left for Florida as soon as I got home from work. It was one long night. We took turns driving and got to Brooksville about 9:00 Friday morning. Judy wanted to bring Daddy back to Missouri and take care of him. After sitting up with him all night, she realized he was gone. We went to the hospital right away. It was so hard on Mother to see Daddy hooked up to all those machines. He was unresponsive. Carol was a nurse and kept putting ice chips on Daddy’s lips because he was so dry. She leaned over and whispered in his ear and said, “It was your heart Daddy, not the cancer.” Jerry and Lorraine were on their way down from New Jersey with Debbie. Daddy died just an hour before they arrived. It was Daddy’s choice to be cremated. We stayed in Florida until Sunday. There was no formal ceremony. The family gathered at the dining room table and shared memories of him.