Camden People - Francis B. Bodine

FRANCIS B. BODINE was born in New Jersey around 1875. He married his wife Ella Blowe in 1903. At the time of the 1930 Census, the Bodines were living at 630 Benson Street, in what was then Camden's 9th Ward. When the census was taken, he was working as a conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and serving as a Camden County freeholder.

Francis Bodine was still serving as a freeholder from the 9th Ward when in October of 1936 he was one of a group of 20 Republican freeholders who defied party boss David Baird Jr. to bring Civil Service rules to Camden County hiring. In 1938 he was appointed to a three year post on the Camden Sinking Fund Commission. Francis and Ella Bodine were still living on Benson Street as late as 1947. Francis Bodine passed away sometime prior to 1959, by which time his wife had moved to an apartment in Collingswood NJ.

Camden Courier-Post - October 13, 1931

Vaudeville and Radio Stars To Feature
'Relief Ball' of Shriners Tomorrow Night
Popularity Contest Winner to Get Diamond Ring and Lead March
CONVENTION HALL READY FOR SHOW
Nine Entertainment Acts On Program; 400 Newsies Guests

Nine vaudeville acts, radio celebrities and a popularity contest will feature the first annual professional show and dance of the Camden Shrine Club of Crescent Temple tomorrow night in Convention Hall.

The show is being held to establish a permanent relief fund and is being directed by Jerry Baehr. Harry G. Hinchman, president of the club, is general chairman of the arrangements.

The popularity contest will close at midnight and the winner will be crowned "Miss Camden Shrine Club". She will be presented with a diamond ring and will lead the grand march for the dance.

Four hundred Courier-Post newsboys, invited by Hinchman, will be guests at the big show, a special section having been set aside for them. The newsies will be led to the hall by David Loeb, Courier-Post circulation manager.

The show will open with a concert by the Camden Shrine Club Band, of which Joseph Bossle, Jr., is director , and Paul R. Wiest, assistant director. The opening selection will be a march dedicated to Hinchman and written by Bossle. Other numbers include melodies by Victor Herbert; Concert Mazurka”La Czarina," by Ganne, and march, "Crescent Temple" by Mayer.

Radio performers will appear in the vaudeville program, which opens with Harry Taylor’s Syncopators, Main Line favorites, singing compositions of the day. Other numbers on the program include: Margaret Freeman, in "The Princess of Presentation"; Will Morris, European novelty in "Fun on the Bike"; Marion Gibney, "Talking About Her Neighbors"; Smith, Strong and Lee, "Three Tin Types"; Bonell and Bay, European sensations from the Hollywood Club, New York; Miss Freeman, songbird; Deluxe Quintet, comedy, singing and musical novelty, and "A Night on Broadway," one of Gotham's singing and dancing revues.

John H. Sibley is assistant general chairman and Harry M. Dease, treasurer. Mayor Roy R. Stewart is chairman of the publicity committee, assisted by George W. Williams, Jr., Michael Greenetz and Silas Boyer.

Commissioner Frank B. Hanna, chairman of the advertising committee, is assisted by Ernest L. Bartelt, C. Fowler Cline and J. Fred James.

Other committees are: Tickets, Charles W. Lacey, chairman; Paul R. West, Clarence Ford and William Matthews. Show, Sibley, chairman; Joseph Bossle, Abe Applebaum, Harry F. Ecky and Walter C. Culin. Reception, George C. Shallcross, Howard J. Dudley, past potentate, and J. Blair Cuthbert, past potentate. Ushers, George J. Schneider, Sr., chairman; Arthur, E. Armitage, Francis B. Bodine and Richard Baumiller, Jr.,

A famous orchestra of radio crooners will provide music for the dance which begins with the grand march at midnight.

The committee last night announced that no seats have been reserved and ticketholders going to the hall early will get the choice of the best seats.

Camden Courier-Post - October 26, 1931

Three-cornered Fights In Freeholder Contest
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.

Camden Courier-Post October 1, 1936
Making Sure Civil Service Vote Is Taken

Democrats and Republicans forgot politics yesterday and stamped out technicalities which threatened to block the vote for Civil Service protection for Camden County employees on November 3rd. Freeholder Francis B. Bodine, Sheriff Joseph H. Van Meter, and Fred George, freeholder's clerk, left to right, with Bodine handing George a three-man petition which forced home to cal a special session for Monday to permit action to get the vote.
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