Introduction
William L. Roberts
WILLIAM L. ROBERTS was born in Yonkers NY around 1863. He came to Camden in the 1880s, and by 1887 he was working as a carpenter for the Camden & Atlantic Railroad. At that time he lived at 12 York Street. He married around 1890. His later years of work for the railroad were as a Fire Marshall, and he remained with the railroad, which was absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad. William L. Roberts bought a home at 533 Mickle Street, near the corner of Mickle Street and Broadway, around 1914.
William L. Roberts was still living at 533 Mickle Street in 1930. Then widowed, his housekeeper, a widow, Anna Emery, 65, lived on premises. He retired shortly after the April 1930 Census. Active in Republican politics, he served on the Camden County Board of Freeholders from Camden’s 4th Ward from 1926 until 1934.
After finally moving from his home on Mickle Street in the summer of 1949, William L. Roberts passed away in February of 1950. A member of Trimble Lodge, No. 117 Free and Accepted Masons, he was buried at Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken NJ, after services at the Murray Funeral Home at 408 Cooper Street in Camden.
Development Body for Camden Named
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Mayor Ellis’ Commission to Study Changes New Bridge Will Bring.
To plan for the future development of the city, and to study the changes that will come with the building of a new Delaware River bridge, a commission was appointed for Camden yesterday by Mayor Joseph R. Ellis. William L. Roberts, of the Second ward, is chairman of the commission. The other members of the commission are City Solicitor Lewis Farnham, Martin Schreiber, three years; Councilman Joseph Forsyth, four years; E. H. Sapp, one year; Wellington Barto, J. J. Blanchard, and Charles H. Ellis.
Three-cornered Fights In Freeholder Contest
Camden Courier-Post —
Clementon and Delaware Township to Have Bitter Battles
38 TO BE ELECTED IN COUNTY, NOV. 3
6 Additional Offices Created by Law; Candidates Listed
Three-cornered battles in Clementon and Delaware township will mark freeholder contests at the November 3 election. Ballots will be casts for an entire new board of freeholders, with 38 to be elected.
Boroughs to have freeholders representation for the first time as a result of recent legislation are Clementon, Lindenwold, Oaklyn, Woodlynne, Mt. Ephraim and Runnemede.
Rivals in the three-cornered fight in Clementon are Theodore W. Gibbs, Republican Organization nominee; Frank C. Somers, running as a Republican Independent, and Herbert P. McAdams, the Democratic nominee.
The triangular race in Delaware township finds Frank N. Walton, Republican Organization; J. Watson Matlack, Republican Independent, and Augustus A. Cornet, Democrat, as the contestants.
Nine members of the present board of freeholders will not be on the ballot for re-election. All are Republicans. They are Benjamin W. Sykes, Eighth Ward; Joseph Tarpine, First Ward, Gloucester; Philip Stohlbergel, Audubon; Joseph H. Van Meter, Collingswood; William J. Dallas, Haddon Heights; James W. Davis, Clementon; Charles C. Durges, Haddon township; Theodore Schleinkofer, Waterford township, and William A. Robinson, Winslow ..
Joseph Bennie, Third Ward, Camden, is the only Democratic member on the present board. He is seeking a re-election and is opposed by Daniel Auletto, Republican nominee.
Candidates listed on the ballots in the various wards and municipalities follow:
Camden Wards
First Ward—Samuel D. Payne, R.; Thomas J. Kittel, D.
Second—William H. Heiser, R.; William Kunitz, D.
Third—Daniel Auletto, R.; Joseph Bennie, D.
Fourth—William L. Roberts, R.; Nicholas A. La Marra, D.
Fifth—C. Leonard Brehm, R.; Leon Perozzi. D.
Sixth—Harry J. Burrichter, R.; A. W. Lazro, D.
Seventh—Mrs. Mary D. Guthridge, R.; Theodore Buczkowski, D.
Eighth—Walter Sekula, R.; George S. W. Spaide.
Ninth—Francis B. Bodine, R.; S. V. Waddy, D.
Tenth—Samuel J. Edwards, R.; Edward J. Fox, Sr., D.
Eleventh — Howard Firth, R.; Charles T. Johnston, D.
Twelfth—John T. Rodan, R.; Wilbert H. Joslin, D.
Thirteenth—William P. Cotter, R.; Frank E. Zimmerman, D.
Fourteenth—Charles H. Genther, R.; George E. Brunner, D.
W. L. Roberts Dies; Ex-Councilman
Camden Courier-Post —
W. L. ROBERTS DIES; EX-COUNCILMAN
William L. Roberts, 86, who was a member of the old Camden city council which preceded the commission form of government here, died in Cooper hospital Sunday. He had been admitted Saturday when he suffered a heart attack. Mr. Roberts, who was a native of Yonkers, N. Y., was a resident of Camden more than 60 years. For 35 years he lived at 533 Mickle street and seven months ago moved to the home of a daughter, Mrs. Dorothea Connolly, 323 North Forty-second street.
He was long active in Republican politics in the Fourth ward, and served on the old Camden board of freeholders from 1926 to 1934. He was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad 41 years and when he retired on pension 19 years ago was a railroad fire marshal. He was a member of Trimble Lodge 117, FAM.
Also surviving are another daughter, Mrs. Robert Gibb, of Secane, Pa., two granddaughters and one great-granddaughter.
Services will be held Wednesday at 2 p. m. in the Murray funeral home, 408 Cooper street, where friends may call Tuesday night. Burial will be in Arlington cemetery.