Camden People - Edwin V. Decker

EDWIN VINES DECKER was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on January 12, 1913 to Marcus and Agnes Decker. The family moved to Carney's Point, New Jersey shortly after Edwin was born, then to Upper Penn's Neck, both in Salem County, where they lived in January of 1920. Finally settling in Camden, the Decker family, which included grandfather John Decker, a veteran of the Civil War and then 89, lived at 1068 South Common Road in the Fairview section of Camden in April of 1930, when the Census was taken. Marcus Decker had a paint and paperhanging business at that time.

Edwin V. Decker was appointed to the Camden Fire Department n October 1, 1943. He was in the military at the time, and did not report for duty until April of 1946. The 1947 Camden City Directory shows him living at 441 Atlantic Avenue in South Camden.

A Moorestown, New Jersey resident in his last years, Edwin Decker passed away on July 12, 1989 at west Jersey Hospital in Marlton, New Jersey. He was buried two days later at Locustwood Memorial Park in Cherry Hill, new Jersey.

Camden Courier-Post - February 16, 1952

Woman Gas Victim Saved by Camden Rescue Squad

The hour-long effort of a fire department rescue squad Friday night saved a woman who tried to kill herself by gas.

Police said Mrs. Florence Marshall, 46, of 330 North Tenth Street, locked herself in the bathroom and turned on a gas jet. They added she was despondent because her daughter, Eva, 22, was planning to marry and leave
home.

A son, William, 19, broke down the bathroom door and dragged the mother from the room. Patrolmen John Voll and Harrison Wilkinson were called and
summoned the rescue squad headed by Captains Godfrey Patterson and George Boone.

It took the squad an hour to revive Mrs. Marshall by artificial respiration. She was taken to Cooper hospital and later to police headquarters, where she was released for a hearing Monday on a charge of attempted suicide.

Other members of Rescue Squad 1 are George Baxter, William Watkin, John Mogck, Edward Brendllnger, Arthur Ballinghoff, Christopher Moll, Edwin Decker, Carl Wirtz, Robert Olesiewicz, John Kolessar and Raymond Banford.

Camden Courier-Post * August 19, 1957

Firemen Here Get Advanced First Aid Course

More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter's first aid committee.

Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.

All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and Truck Company 1. These groups include:

Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and Albert Weller; Edward Brendlinger, Harrison MacNeir, Robert Olesiewicz and James W. Smith.

Headquarters Company: Raymond Banford, John K. Voll and John W. Yates.

Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and Otto V. Kaiser; William Watkin, Chester Gedrich, George Baxter, John Mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, Joseph McTaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and Elmer Johnson Jr.

Engine Company 2: Captains James R. Asher, Thomas Winstanley; Carl Wirtz, James McGrory, Edwin V. Decker, James Stewart, Francis X. McTaggart, Anthony T. Orme, Mario D. Fattore, James O. Jones, Francis P. Stibi, William Hopkins, Robert E. Briggs, John Giuliano, Casper Martelli, Harold H. Pike, John J. Vane, William Stibi, John DiMaggio and Harry Kleinfelder.