John Henson
JOHN HENSON was born on June 11, 1911 in Camden, New Jersey. He was one of at least seven children born to Carrie and William Henry Henson. The family lived at 1050 Line Street when the 1914 City Directory was compiled and were still at that address when William Henson registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. The 1920 and 1930 Census indicate that the family, which included younger siblings William Jr., Joseph, Anna, Charles, Carrie, and Howard owned a home at 1054 Line Street. The Henson family remained at this address well into the 1940s. William H. Henson Sr. worked for many years as an electrical engineer at the Taylor White dye extracting plant at the foot of Pine Street.
By 1940 John Henson had married. He was then living with his wife Margaret at 431 Beideman Avenue in East Camden’s Westfield Acres public housing project, and remained at that address as late as 1943. John Henson was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on September 25, 1942. He reported for duty on October 1, 1942 with Engine Company 9 at North 27th Street and Federal Street in East Camden. On February 13, 1945 he was re-assigned as Battalion Chief’s Aide for the Second District, a post he held until January 1, 1950 when he returned to the East Camden firehouse to serve with Ladder Company 3.
The 1947 Camden City Directory shows that John Henson was still living in Westfield Acres with his wife Margaret, by then at 502 Beideman Avenue. By 1956 they had moved to 2905 High Street in East Camden. He lived out his days at this address.
On June 16, 1951 John Henson was promoted to Captain, as was John “Jake” Huelas of Engine Company 9. Captain Huelas was assigned to Engine Company 11 at 901 North 27th Street in Cramer Hill. John Henson’s first assignment as a Captain was with Ladder Company 2 at Fire Headquarters, North 5th and Arch Streets. On July 16, 1955 Captain Henson was given a new assignment, with Engine Company 10 on Morgan Boulevard in Fairview.
John Henson passed away on September 11, 1959, at the age of 48. He was replaced on the Fire Department by John DeFrancesco.
Three Children Rescued, Three Firemen Injured
Camden Courier-Post —
FATHER WHO SAVED his three children is shown holding the tots after the rescue Monday from their smoke-filled apartment at 216 State Street. The children were taking their afternoon nap when the blaze was discovered. From left, Joseph, David Jr., and Jacqueline, are held by their father David Kaluhiokalani.
Three small children were rescued Monday after almost being trapped in their smoke-filled apartment, while in another blaze, two firemen were injured when caught in a shower of broken glass.
The children were rescued by their father, David Kaluhiokaleni, 27, after he made his way up a stairway heavy with smoke and carried them from the third-floor bedroom of their home at 216 State street where they were taking their afternoon naps.
Kaluhiokaleni, employed by the Riverside Metals Co., told police he and his wife put the children — Jacqueline, 4; David, 3 and Joseph, eight months, to sleep about 1:30 p.m. and went downstairs to the apartment of his wife’s sister, Mrs. Cora Pantella, for lunch.
Leads 2 to Safety
At about 2:15 p.m., smoke was detected and Kaluhiokaleni groped his way up the stairway to the room where his children were sleeping. He led the two eldest down the stairway and carried the youngest.
Firemen, under the direction of Battalion Chief Harold Gick, confined the fire to the bedroom. Gick said it apparently started in the mattress of a bed adjoining the one in which the three children were sleeping.
The two firemen were injured while fighting a blaze that gutted a second-floor bedroom and damaged a gift shop at 1073 Haddon avenue.
3 Companies Fight Blaze
Traffic was detoured off Haddon avenue for more than an hour while firemen from two engine companies and one truck company battled the flames.
The injured firemen were Capt. John Hensen, 40, commander of Truck Co. No. 2, and Ladderman James Creato, 52, of the same company.
Hensen suffered a cut on the back of his left hand that required two stitches at West Jersey hospital. Creato was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a puncture wound of his right foot, suffered when he stepped on a nail.
The injured fire captain, who was sent home after treatment, was caught in a shower of glass when a window exploded from the heat.
The gift shop is operated by Mrs. Etta Kocher, 51. With her husband, Fred, general sales manager for a Philadelphia fruit produce company, she occupies the apartment above.
The two-story brick and frame building was vacant when firemen arrived. They had been summoned by a passerby when clouds of smoke began pouring from the upstairs bedroom window.
According to Battalion Chief Winfield Leviseur, the flames started in one of the bedrooms of the upstairs apartment, scorched the walls of an adjacent bedroom, and were threatening the gift shop below.
One Room Is Total Loss
One bedroom was a total loss, the other sustained water and smoke damage, and the gift shop was damaged by water.
Chief Leviseur said his men were hampered by dense smoke from the blazing mattress. He was unable to estimate damages, but said the cause was “possibly a careless smoker.”
Mrs. Kocher and her son, Sgt. Donald Kocher, 23, were away making a bank deposit at the time of the fire. They returned at the height of the blaze.
Sgt. Kocher, on a 20-day furlough from the Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, said he was on orders to report to Officers’ Candidate School at Fort Sill, Okla.
In addition to Truck Company 2, Engine Companies 8 and 7 responded to the alarm. Truck Company 2 and Engine Company 8 are located at 6th and Kaighn avenues; Engine Company 7 answered the alarm from its headquarters at Mt. Ephraim and Kaighn avenues.
Fire Department Personnel Card
Camden Fire Department personnel card — John Henson
DECEASED – 9-11-59
Name: John Henson. Title: Captain. Address: 2905 High St. Badge No.: XXXX. Born at: Camden N.J. Date: June 11, 1911. Appointed: Sept. 25, 1942. Reported for duty: Oct. 1, 1942. Tel. No.: Woodlawn 3-3179. Blood type: A Positive.
Check positions this member is capable of filling: Driver (X). Tillerman (X).
Assignments: Assigned-#9 Eng Co. Oct. 1, 1942. Transferred-#2 Chief’s Aide Feb. 13, 1945. Transferred-#3 Truck Co. Jan. 1, 1950 to June 16-1951. 6-16-51—Promoted Captain—Trk. #2. 7-1-55—Eng. Co. No. 10.
DECEASED 9-11-59