Camden People - Christian Tenner

CHRISTIAN TENNER was born in August of 1850 in Saxony (present-day Germany) to Casper and Settonia Tenner. He came to America with his parents. sister Wilhelmina and older brothers George Adam Tenner (born 1847) and George Rudolph Tenner (born 1841), and settled in Camden, New Jersey. Another daughter, Amelia, was born after the Tenners had come to America. Casper Tenner was among the German immigrants in South Camden who organized the Emanuel United Brethren Church.

It should be noted that George Rudolph Tenner appears in different records and publications as G. Rudolph Tenner, Rudolph Tenner, George Tenner, Reuben Tenner, and G. Reuben Tenner. Between that and having a brother named George Adam Tenner, it took some time to sort out the various documents and articles to determine what applied to who. Fortunately, George A. Tenner went "only" by George A. Tenner, George Tenner, and Adam Tenner. Christian Tenner also appears a G. Christopher Tenner.

Both of Christian Tenner's brothers served with the Union Army during the Civil Was. Sister Wilhelmina married Lewis Holl, a carpenter who, with his brother George Holl, became very active in construction and real estate in Camden. Lewis Holl also served briefly with the Camden Fire Department; their son, Arthur Holl became Camden County's coroner and operated funeral homes in South Jersey for 65 years.

G. Rudolph Tenner had been active as a volunteer fireman and was a charter member of the Camden Fire Department, which went into service December 7th at 6 P.M.

G. Rudolph Tenner made a career of the Camden Fire Department, and was still on active duty as late as 1914. Brother George A. Tenner was appointed to the Police Department in 1874. Christian Tenner was appointed to the Fire Department in April of 1877. He was living at 615 Pine Street and working as an iron moulder at the time of his appointment. Brother George A. Tenner would later join the Fire Department, while Christian later worked as a police officer.

Chris Tenner was reappointed to the Camden Fire Department in 1878 and again in 1879, by which time he had moved to 575 Pine Street. He was not reappointed in 1882, by was called back to the Fire Department in 1884 and served for one year. He left the department that year. Christian Tenner worked as Camden police officer in from 1887 through 1889. During this period he engaged in a running feud with a Martin Sharp, the two coming to blows in the street in 1889 and again in 1892. The source of the discord was reported to have been politics, which in Camden was a full contact sport in those times.

Christian Tenner married to Mary McCracken, sister of Camden firefighter James McCracken in the early 1870s. Christian Tenner's sister Amelia married Camden firefighter Joseph Green around 1877. By 1880 there were three children, daughters Lydia and Maggie, and a son George A. Tenner. The family resided at 575 Pine Street when the Census was taken that year. Another son, Benjamin, was born later in 1888. Sadly, Mary Tenner passed away in March of 1900. Christian Tenner was then living at 635 Pine Street with his four children, and a grandchild, Helen Schwartz, the daughter of Lydia Tenner Schwartz, who unfortunately was already a widow at 27. Christian Tenner was then working as a ship caulker. When the Census was again taken, in 1910, Lydia Tenner had remarried. Her new husband was Camden fire fighter William Hertline. Christian Tenner and his youngest child, Benjamin Tenner, lived with the Hertlines at 530 South 8th Street. This arrangement was still in effect as late as 1920.

Chris Tenner passed away on April 7, 1932.

Philadelphia Public Ledger - December 19, 1872
	Thomas A. Wilson Henry F. Surault Paul Anderson James S. Henry William Ross Joseph Swing Engine Company 2 Thomas McLaughlin William H. Doughten William Bassett Charles Sawyer Christian Tenner Edward H. Mead John Graham F.W. Tarr

*Camden Daily Courier April 1, 1886**

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Harry H. Franks - Jesse Pratt - Josiah Matlack - John Jacobs - Albert Summers - Simpson Long Samuel Lee - Charles Peterson - Charles O. Pedrick - Bowman Matlack - Christian Tenner John Fox - John Dall - Harry Griffin - Charles H. Peters