John Sylvester Kellum

John Sylvester Kellum was born in Waterford Township NJ on April 8, 1853 to Edward Martin and Elizabeth Sharpe Kellum. His father moved his family to Wrightsville, in what is now East Camden, in the 1870s.

John Sylvester Kellum married Mary Ellen Fleming, and their first child, John Francis Kellum, was born in January of 1876. Four more children would follow between then and 1890: Adelaide, Blanche, Wilbur, and Leona.

John S. Kellum was operating a barber shop in Camden as early as 1887, when he was living at 1122 Cooper Street. He then had a shop at 901 Market Street. By 1890 he had moved back to East Camden, which was then Stockton Township. John Kellum and his family then lived and he had his barbershop on Marlton Pike near Federal Street. He would also operate a shop at 11th and Federal Street before retiring in 1918. John Kellum then restricted his activities to part-time work.

In January of 1920 John Kellum was a widower. He was then working as a watchman, and lodging at 2712 Pleasant Street in East Camden, the home of Albert Holden, a streetcar operator, and his wife Rose. At some point in the late 1920s John Kellum bought a large house at 104 Pearl Street where he rented apartments. He was living there at the time of the 1930 Census. He later moved to 2207 Carman Street in East Camden, where he was residing when he passed away at the age of 83, on October 3, 1936.