Bertie Pennington

PRIVATE BERTIE PENNINGTON was born in England about 1899. His father had come to America in the early 1900s, and had sent for his wife and children in the summer of 1904. The family had lived in the town of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which is not far from Newcastle-on-
Tyne and Liverpool. Bertie Pennington arrived in America from Liverpool on aboard the SS Celtic with his mother, Mary Ann Pennington and brothers Thomas, John Allen, Harry, William, and Charles on September 16, 1904. Another brother, Howard was born in New Jersey later in 1905. The Penningtons originally lived at 402 Mount Vernon Street in Camden NJ. He lived in Camden with his wife Laura at 900 Penn Street in Camden NJ. He enlisted in the United States Army on June 3, 1918, and was sent to Camp Humphreys VA, where he was assigned to Company M, 2nd Engineer Regiment. From there he was sent overseas, and was re-assigned to the 116th Engineer Regiment, 41st Infantry Division. 

Private Bertie Pennington died of pneumonia while serving in France on October 7, 1918. Sadly, his brother Harry, who had been running a grocery at 9th and Penn Street, died of pneumonia brought on by Spanish influenza six days later, a victim of the same epidemic that had taken his soldier brother overseas.

Private Pennington was survived by his wife, of the Penn Street address, his mother and brothers John Allen and William, both serving overseas, brothers Charles and Howard, of 950 South 9th Street, Camden, and brother Thomas, of 1008 Newton Avenue, Camden. The Pennington family all had moved out of Camden by 1930, going for the most part to Audubon NJ.

Camden Courier-Post - January 20, 1928

GOLD STAR MOTHERS TO ATTEND FOREIGN WAR VETERAN’S BALL

Gold Star Mothers will be the honor guests at the first annual military ball of the Camden Post, No. 980, Veterans of Foreign Wars, to be held on Friday evening, February 3, in the Elks ballroom, Seventh and Cooper Streets.

Elaborate plans for this ball are under the chairmanship of John S. Pennington.

Invitations have been issued for patrons and patronesses and the list will be announced early next week.

Gold Star Mothers to attend the affair are Mrs. C. Alberger, Mrs. Harriett Ablett, Mrs. Laura Brown. Mrs. A. Crangel, Mrs. A. Cassidey, Mrs. R. Dilks, Mrs. Kate Geist, Mrs. M. Griffen, Mrs. Horace B. Keebler, Mrs. H. Kirk, Mrs. Ross Leahy, Mrs. M. A. Matson, Mrs. M. McGuckin, Mrs. Mary Martin, Mrs. M. Matthews, Mrs. Cooling Pond, Mrs. Oliver Powell*, Mrs. Mary Pennington, Mrs. C. Rolk, Mrs. E. Simons, Mrs. Mary Schucker, Mrs. Margaret Steigerwald, Mrs. Annie Taylor, Mrs. M. Osborn, Mrs. Mary Keegan, Mrs. Anna Kennedy, Mrs. T.C. Young and Mrs. Walters.

Assisting Mr. Pennington in planning this ball are John Rouh, James W. Connor, Charles Bozian, Robert MacMahon, Edward Watson, David Lukoff, Harry Laxton, Edward A. Stark, George Jones, William V. Long, Joseph Keefe, Charles Blank sad Marvel Passwater.

* Newspaper error- Mrs. Oliver Powell was actually Mrs. Oliver Purnell