Remembering Camden – Casselman Family

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A collection of remembrances by Catherine Casselman Greenhart, Camden High School Class of 1941.

Dear Mr. Cohen,

I grew up in Camden at 301 North Second Street. Your history was sent to me by one of my former students whose parents, under 400 Line Street, the Gentiles, also are part of Camden’s history. I lived at 301 North Second Street where my Father, Arthur J. Casselman, M.D., Director of Public Health and Director of Laboratories at Lakeland General, Cooper Hospital and West Jersey Hospital, had his offices and a laboratory as well. It was called Public Hygiene Laboratory.

My Father was born and raised at 317 Penn Street. His Father was William S. Casselman founder of the West Jersey Title and Guaranty Company. His bank was located, as I remember, across from the Masonic Temple and was torn down in the 30’s I think. I remember going to visit Grandad at the bank. They always had a Christmas party for the children of the bank employees. This is all documented at the Camden County Historical Society.

My Father was born 3/18/1888 during the famous blizzard of ’88. He had three brothers, Mark, Paul and William S. Jr. Grandad is buried in Harleigh Cemetery. The monument is facing Haddon Avenue in the front across from the Chocolate Factory. [The building referred to was the formerA.N. Stollwerck chocolate factory which stood at 1651 Haddon Avenue. It has been gone for many years.—ed.]

William S., Jr. worked in the bank, Mark became a lawyer and had his offices on Market Street. Paul was an engineer and worked at the Franklin Institute. The ejection seat for pilots in Army planes was his idea, although I don’t think he ever took (got) the credit.

My Father met my Mother in Rochester, Minnesota where she was head operation supervisor for the famous Dr, John Stokes (brother of the famous Philadelphia pediatrician Dr. Joseph Stokes). She came East and married him in 1924. My Mother, Zula Boyd Casselman, was president of many organizations in Camden… the Camden Woman’s Club, the YWCA, the American Cancer Society, the TB Society and others whose names I have forgotten.. She and Miriam Lee Early Lippincott founded the Woman’s Field Army for the Detection of Cancer, later the American Cancer Society of New Jersey. She was the second recipient of South Jersey Woman of the Year sponsored by the Best Market, adjacent to the old Sears Building on Admiral Wilson Boulevard.

They had two children…Arthur, who never married, and Catherine who married Robert F. Grenhart, attorney, son of Dr. George Grenhart of Haddon Avenue, Camden.

I, Catherine, graduated from Camden High School, as did my (deceased) husband, Robert, in June of 1942.

Catherine Greenhart, June 19, 2009


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