Merriel Avenue

MERRIEL AVENUE runs east from Rosedale Avenue to North 36th Street parallel to Westfield Avenue. Merriel Avenue was named after the Merriel family by Joseph Cramer when he developed the property. His wife Elizabeth was born Elizabeth Merriel. The 3000 block homes were built by Leon Todd around 1925. At one time Camden Avenue east of North 36th Street to North 38th was called Merriel Avenue. This was changed at some point between 1914 and 1924, however.

Related: September 2011 Fire at 3155 Merriel Avenue — 3155 Merriel Avenue, September 14, 2011.

Related: Car Passenger Injured in Collision with Bus — 3181 Merriel Avenue, October 1936.

Related: James McKernan Funeral Monday — 3182 Merriel Avenue, April 1953.

Related: James McTaggart at 3189 Merriel Avenue — 3189 Merriel Avenue, 1930s–1940s.

I was born in 1951 and brought home to 139 North 32nd Street. My parents were William Joseph and Elizabeth Mae (Reeves) Petris. These were all very happy years for me and my sister Sheree Joy Petris (married name Romesburg) who was born in 1954. These were happy years because all of our family lived in Camden. My Dad's family was from South Camden and my Mother's family was from East Camden.

My Dad was terrific at carpentry and for several years in their spare time, he rebuilt the entire inside of 139. We had indirect lighting in dining room which shone pink from the outside and they made a faux pink marble fireplace in the living room. Strange, but I guess they were into pink. My Grandparents, George and Ruth Reeves lived at 3173 Merriel Avenue and I could see their house from my back bedroom window. My best friend Janice Olnhausen lived next door at 3171 Merriel Avenue with her parents Emil and Betty Olnhausen. My Great Grandparents, William and Eva Roles (parents of Ruth Roles Reeves) built Roles Court Apartments on North 34th Street and Rosedale Avenue, they lived there and ran the apartments until both passed away. The apartments then passed to George and Ruth Reeves who later sold the property. Most of our family the Petris’s, Reeves, Roles, and Kellys were brought up and lived and had happy times at Roles Court Apartments. My parents lived there from 1947 (the year of their marriage) to 1950 until they purchased 139 North 32nd Street.

Our playground were those streets, the back alleys and of course Dudley Grange Park, where they had a ball game going every night during the summer and then there were the swings and slides. My Grandfather George “Rick” Reeves along with his friends George Kissinger, Inky Workings and Harry Hoffman all played baseball there. My Dad Bill Petris also played at one time or other.

My Mother Betty Mae lived in Westfield Acres from 1938 to 1941 or 1942 on a third floor apartment with her sister Ruthie and baby brother George “Richard” Reeves until they moved to 3173 Merriel Avenue.

I went to Henry H. Davis Elementary School from kindergarten (Mrs. McCarroll), 1st grade (Mrs. Braun) 2nd grade (Mrs. Brown), third grade (Mrs. Elliott), fourth grade (Miss Williams), fifth grade (Miss Quinn) and 6th grade (Miss Costello). Mr. Showalter became the principal at some point. I think he had come from Cramer School.

Everyone was friendly, we took the bus everywhere but mostly to 27th Street to go to the M&H to get ice cream, Kotlikoff’s to get clothes and the 5 & 10 to look at Barbies. My Mother and my Aunt Carol Kelly would push coaches with their children into “town” as they called it on nice days.

My sister and I would walk to Grace Baptist Church on Sundays, where most of my Mother’s family attended (the Reeves side). William Reeves owned the house on Cramer Street across from the church and sided up against the bank parking lot. Later the house was lived in by my Aunt Ida and Uncle Sam. Ida was George Reeves’ sister. William Reeves, my great grandfather was the fire chief at the firehouse.

During the Fourth of July celebrations, every year, Dudley Grange Park would set off a wonderful fireworks display. I don’t remember if it was big in relation to displays now. It was huge, and beautiful and implanted in my memories so much so that I have to rush out and see fireworks somewhere on the 4th. Unfortunately, someone was killed in the 1950’s as I believe one of the fireworks went into the crowd. After that, the fireworks stopped at Dudley Grange to my recollection.

Harry’s Grocery store was on the corner of North 32nd Street and Westfield Avenue. On the other corner was Sy’s Cleaners. The Esso station was on the other side of the street facing North 32nd. Frank’s soda fountain and candy shop was on North 34th and Westfield on the way to school. There was another candy store across from Davis on the corner. The playground at Davis was the scene of many Halloween parades when we had to march around the school for our parents to see back in the 1950’s. The playground was wonderful, life was fun and easy.

I had wonderful holidays and many happy memories of 139, 3173 and Roles Court Apartments and the neighborhood in general. The library was great. I would go once every two weeks and take out as many books as I could read. There was roller skating, bike riding, the kid who sold water ice and snowballs in his wagon, the milk truck, the ice truck, the clothes prop man and people who were homeless that would knock on your door to ask for a bowl of soup. You did not say no and always gave them something to eat and you never locked your doors back then. You didn’t have to be afraid of anyone. It was a close neighborhood and everyone knew who you were from street to street and neighbors looked out for one another.

My parents sold 139 North 32nd Street around 1962 to move to Cherry Hill after 6th grade. My Grandparents lived at 3173 from about 1941 to approximately 1974 when they past on and my Uncle Richard Reeves inherited the house and then sold it to move near Gibbstown, NJ. My Aunt Ruth Reeves Feairheller moved out of 3171 when she got married in 1957 and at some point moved to a street that paralleled Route 130 near Pennsauken and the Penn Fruit. She may have also lived on Carman Street at one time.

There is so much more and I could go on all day but I won’t. It was a lovely, uncomplicated, innocent and wonderfully happy time for all of the family. Now family is scattered all around the U.S. The “olden” days were great fun.

Jill Petris Lamparella
March 2008