John Holloway, at the age of 13, was influenced by Jay C Parker [of Parkertown] to take up decoy carving as a hobby. Jay Parker was a very heavy influence on John because of his skill and outstanding character. John persistently bugged Mr. Parker to teach him how to carve. Little did he know that his hobby would turn John into a world renowned decoy and folk art carver. http://www.decoymag.com/features/showstops/PDFs/ShowstopsSept2004.pdf
Cathleen Engelsen was born in the small town of Surf City. She grew up with an older brother, mother, and father. When she was a young child, her father had a boat yard. She worked and helped out during the summer.
We interviewed Mr. Bob Fricke, Senior. He was a middle child, and he grew up in Ship Bottom, until he moved here at the age of ten. Bob is a builder of seven speed boats, and the captain of his own charter boat.
Bud Cranmer is a very interesting citizen of Tuckerton, New Jersey. He has been a resident of Tuckerton since he was born in 1940. As the oldest child of the family, Bud had the responsibilities of watching his younger siblings, mowing the lawn, doing dishes, and working around the house. At home, his mother did both the cooking and ironing. Of course keeping in touch with distant family is very important. The Cranmers kept in touch by telephone and visiting relatives. Bud had family in town, so there was no need for him to travel far. Since the development of antibiotics was not as advanced as now, some childhood diseases were the dreaded hoof and mouth, measles, and mumps. The closest hospital around his area was in Atlantic City. Doctor Komono was the local family doctor and his payment received from the family was in cash. Of course you always had one of those favorite relatives that you liked more than anyone else; Bud was especially close to his three uncles and his aunt.
Do you remember when you had your first job? Bud’s first job was working at the Acme. At Acme he was a clerk and cashier. His next job was as a trucker for the family business. His family lived in a small bungalow on Water Street. Then Bud’s family moved to a two story Colonial home located on Wood Street. In their new home he didn’t have a room of his own; he had to share with his brother. It didn’t bother him at all. They lived in a medium sized home; they ate in the large kitchen. [Jash, Will, Jimmy]
David Hewitt was born in 1978, in an Atlantic City hospital. He was raised in Little Egg Harbor. Although he did not have all of the experiences of other adults interviewed in this session, Mr. Hewitt, growing up, had knowledge of the experiences. He explained to us that his father was a fisherman in a factory. His father, like all the other fishermen in the factory, used a boat to get to work every day. Unlike him, Mr. Hewitt’s father and his grandparents cut, sewed, and knitted their own clothes.
Mr. Hewitt is now a 5th grade teacher. After school, he also has a class where Mr. Hewitt contributes his knowledge to younger children. His young gifted after school students even made a book of what they learned ‘Tuckerton’s History T.E.S 3rd& 4th Grade Gifted and Talented’. [Stephanie C, Jade V]
When we interviewed them, Sandra and David Hewitt gave us a lot of information about their lives. They told us was that their backgrounds made them who they are today. Sandra was born in Pennsylvania and she moved to New Jersey in 1960. David was born in Lakewood, New Jersey, and he grew up in Tuckerton. Sandra was most influenced or most inspired by her grandmother, who helped her become a good person. As for David, he was influenced by his dad and his brother, who helped him learn to become a good man and have encouraged him throughout his life.
Sandra’s aunt did most of the cooking in the house. She made many foods and great dinners for Sandra as a child. David’s mom did most of the cooking and he appreciated the food she made. Sandra and her family didn’t have any pets, but David always had a cat or dog running around the house. He enjoyed having animals to keep him company on a rainy day.
Sandra and David’s childhood were very interesting. Sandra lived in a mobile home, but David lived in a house. Sandra had to share her room with her mom, while David had to share his room with his three sisters. Sandra was always comfortable because her housing had heat. David’s home didn’t have as much heat, but he enjoyed his childhood.
Their childhood family income and livelihood had to do with what they had. Sandra’s mother worked outside of the house, so she could pay for what her house and family needed. David’s mom worked at home, but his father brought in an income. When they reached their teenage years, Dave and Sandra got jobs of their own. Sandra was 15 when she got her first job, but David was 12. David’s dad hunted to put food on the table or to make money. He gathered clams and hunted birds, so they could sell or eat them.
Sandra and David had many occasions or days that were special to them. On Sundays Sandra would go to church; on Saturdays David’s parents would go out and his sister would babysit him.
Sandra and David both finished 12th grade. Sandra switched many schools throughout her life; she went to Long Beach Island grade school and Southern Regional High School. David and Sandra’s grades were average; they are very smart.
Sandra and David worked hard throughout their lives. Sandra worked at Acme and ShopRite. David worked at Acme also and they both enjoyed their jobs.
Sandra and David are very respectful, responsible, and caring people, who have enjoyed their lives. [Lauren C, Makenzie S]
Robert Fricke was born on October 3, 1969, in Somers Point, NJ. He was the middle child of a family of three children, and the only boy. As a small child Fricke had to do some chores, like mowing the lawn. His mother and sisters did a lot of the in thenhouse chores, such as ironing and cooking. Fricke learned boat building from his father, Robert Fricke. He also learned how to work and build boat and car motors on his own. Fricke’s jobs have always had to do with the ocean, from being a marine mechanic to a clammer, and even a boat builder. Out of all the jobs he’s ever had, clamming has always been his favorite. Fricke says, “While clamming I was self employed and no one told me what to do and when to do it. I got to work my own hours.” His current job is working at Art Merrill Marina as the head mechanic and R & R Boat Crafts as a boat builder with his father. At the age of 39, father of four girls with a wife of eleven years, Fricke couldn’t be any happier with his career. [Alison W, Brent C, Chad M]
Art of Tuckerton with Joyce Lawrence
We were given the privilege of sitting down and talking with Mr. Nathaniel Kirby who is a Spanish teacher at Pinelands Regional High School. He was very articulate in his answers and he inspired us to learn more about local history. Our town of Tuckerton is very rich in local history and a nice town to grow up or raise a family.
Fred Kalm was born in the town of New Gretna, New Jersey. His mother and father came from Europe (England and Germany) separately. His father had crossed the Atlantic an astounding 6 or 7 times before he was even in his 20’s. When World War I broke out, his father stayed in America and this is how he met his mother. Fred’s mother was of English decent, and, as he said himself; “having someone around here with an English accent was a pretty interesting thing.” He told us how he and his mother, brother, and sister would all go out to the blueberry farm to pick some berries during the berry-season. Despite his mother being a mostly stay-at-home type mom, she still appeared to have a profound impact on his life from his words about her. On the other hand, his father was a clammer, a profession that he himself decided to follow after coming home from the Navy. 
Carl Penn was raised in Brant Beach, on Long Beach Island, at 25 East 46th Street. He was an only child who had many chores, which included taking care of the beaches. Carl went to a small school in Ship Bottom where he met his third grade teacher, Miss Nadler, who later became his favorite teacher. Mr. Penn still sees her from time to time on LBI. Miss Nadler was the first person to realize that he needed glasses, and later that year Carl got glasses and could see much, much better than before. He graduated from [Southern Regional] High School in 1968, with 169 students in his class. Later he went to Glassboro State [College], which is now Rowan University, where he studied to be a History teacher and then later decided to be a library media specialist. During summer breaks Carl worked at the movie theater on LBI, for 16 years until he decided to leave after the theater was made into a four-plex, which neither he nor his staff liked.
On Thursday, April 23, 2009, we interviewed Mary Lou Mathis. She was born in Tuckerton and still resides there. She informed us about many things that we didn’t realize existed, or had happened. Mary is a very respectful woman, which was proof of people’s actions when she was growing up. Her family has lived here since the 1700’s. Although her maiden name was Mathis, she also married a Mathis, who was not directly related. Growing up in Tuckerton, the town was connected. It was your typical small town, with a general store, Gerber’s, and a candy shop down the street. Religion was influential to the town. Catholicism was not as popular as it is now.
We interviewed Russell Mathis Senior, who is my grandpa and an active member in the Tuckerton community. Rusty Mathis is 69 years old and usually spends his time picking up his grandchildren from school and doing community service. He is retired from his job at the post office, where he worked for many years. Being a citizen of Tuckerton for so long, he saw many changes in [town].
Jaclyn Stewart has lived in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island for two and a half years, but she grew up in Monmouth County. Jaclyn attended Rutgers University, than went to graduate school in Cooperstown, in upstate New York. After that she moved to Philadelphia and now she’s happy to be back with her family.
Patty Jillson has lived here all her life, for sixty one years. Her parents moved into their house when she was less than a year old. Her dad worked for the electric company in West Creek and her mom was a homemaker. Patty built her own house in Tuckerton during the sixties and still lives there today. Growing up her grandmother was her role model because she was a single mom since her husband was in the coast guard. She raised three children by herself and always cared how the children spelled because that was important to her. She enjoyed grade school at Tuckerton Elementary. Later, she went to Southern Regional to complete high school. This was a long drive from her home, enabling her to go to many events. She had to work around the bus schedule considering her parents shared a car.
The wonderful town of Tuckerton has a fairly large history, and thankfully, we have people who remember it. Patty Richmond grew up in the late 1940s, early19 50s era, and she had plenty to tell us about Tuckerton’s past. In our interview, we learned quite a bit about 1950s life, and we realized what a tight knit town this used to be. Things have changed over the years, but Patty, Tom and I seem to think most of the changes were for the better.
This interview with Paul Hart was an experience that enlightened us on the history of our community. He was witty and humorous. Paul held our attention through his whole presentation. We all enjoyed his detailed stories of his childhood experiences. Through the presentation we realized that things really have not changed too much since prior generations, other than the updates with technology and economy.
Paul Hart spent his childhood in Beach Haven, New Jersey, until 1950 when he and his family moved to Manahawkin. They have lived there since. His older brother went to an elementary school that had an outhouse. However by the time he began school, he attended what they then called ‘the new school’, which we know as Oxycocus Elementary. This school was larger because his generation was ‘the baby boomers’. The number of kids in each class had increased from 6-12 to almost 30. This school had a room for each grade, rather than one room for all the students. When it came time to go to high school, he went to Southern Regional.
Paul also talked about how things have changed. He says that people respect our environment much more now than they did before, trying to do whatever possible to get rid of mosquitoes. He remembers many hobbies that people had then, like bowling and soap box racing. A majority of these activities are still enjoyed by our youth today. He also remembers going to Atlantic City to see the Miss America pageant and parade.
All in all, Paul Hart brought us a blast from the past. From the old fashioned truck he brought to show us, the tales from the Tuckerton Railroad, and other hobbies he enjoyed. We really got to see how things were back then. Our interview with Paul Hart was exciting and informational. We are very grateful that we had the opportunity to meet and interview such a great man. [MaryJane C, Nadene N, Casey W, Wyatt S]
Anna Stevens is an important member to our community, and embraces the caring pillar [of Character Counts!]. Anna Stevens has lived in Tuckerton for fifty-six years, and loves living here. She was born and raised in Jersey City. She began working at the age of eighteen, as many of us do today. Anna’s first job was at a foot doctor’s office. Growing up her form of entertainment was going to dances. Anna liked school as a child, but wasn’t as good a student as she wanted to be. Her most important thing she got from attending school was learning about life.
We interviewed Mrs. Ellen Allen. Mrs. Allen moved here from Boston when she was one year old. She lived in Tuckerton growing up and now lives in Mystic Islands. She has lived in the area for 58 years and has worked in the school district for 18 years. For ten years she served as assistant chef in the high school cafeteria and now works as secretary for our vice principal. Mrs. Allen explained to us how Tuckerton has changed since she was our age. She said that Ocean East Buffet used to be a hotel and the Acme used to be a car dealership where her husband worked. Her father also worked to help build Mystic Islands.
On April 23rd, 2009, we had the opportunity to interview Alvie Jillson, a member of our community for 63 years, about local history. Mr. Jillson grew up in Tuckerton where he still resides today. His family owned the Jillson farm, which would be considered Mystic Island today. An historical story he shared stated that when they were plowing, they saw dark spots. These dark spots happened to be 6 to 8 Indian skeletons, on average 6 foot 6 inches in height. They were donated to the Smithsonian, but because there were no records, the skeletons weren’t able to be correctly identified. Mr. Jillson also enjoyed playing baseball, fishing, ice skating, swimming, and having bonfires at the local Tuckerton lake. He mentioned going to school at Southern Regional when they were debating about building Pinelands Regional. He was glad he went to SRHS where he met nice people. [Nicole H, Megan O, Jennifer T]
Elsie Driscoll was the person we interviewed for the O.C.E.A.N. 1st project. She is a native born Tuckerton child. She has lived in the area, without moving away, for over 80 years. As a child, Elsie spent the majority of her time on her parents’ twenty one acre farm. Her childhood consisted of work, for a good portion of her day was working in the fields. She and her mother milked the cows daily; she delivered milk to neighbors and the Bed and Breakfast. Elsie’s father was quite the fisherman indeed; he also would clam and eel. Although her mother and father were native born to Tuckerton, her mother’s descendents were Irish and her father’s were German.
For our interview, we had the pleasure of talking with Peter Stemmer. He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, or as he says, ‘Central Jersey’. He lived in North Brunswick for twenty-eight years. Without the technology we have today, his days were filled with games outside, especially sports. Unlike the sports teams that we have today, they mostly played with whoever was in the neighborhood at the time. When he had to grow up and get a job, Mr. Stemmer taught history at the local junior high. He has been living in New Gretna for thirty-five years and feels like a native.
Calvin Morey grew up next door to a boat builder in Tuckerton. He worked at the Dynasty Diner with his father, the cook, during the summer. He washed dishes. “I hand washed them dish by dish.”
Jim Bower made a good impression. He knew a lot about the past history of Tuckerton and was talkative, which was good. Jim knew a lot about how people used to barter instead of using money. He told us about several buildings that are not here nowadays.
Mr. Earl Sutton and Mrs. Elizabeth Sutton have lived in Tuckerton with their families for years. In the late 1900s they arrived here in Tuckerton, becoming true loves, later getting married. Earl Sutton was a farmer, then became a banker for the rest of his career. Liz Sutton was a telephone operator for a long time. They both enjoyed listening and dancing to the music of their time, such as waltzing, the jitterbug, and line dancing.
Sammy Leifred Jr. was very polite and funny. It was interesting to learn about Mr. Leifried’s life. He remembered a lot and he also had postcards from early years of Tuckerton. Sammy had numerous things to say about Tuckerton and he was also very comedic and patient when we were trying to get our microphone to work. Overall, Sammy was a fascinating guest.
Barbara Bolton
Jane Moeller and Joe Marshall
On April 3rd, we interviewed Harry Disbrow, Sr. He had an important role in the Tuckerton area by hunting and driving deer into places so the hunters could shoot them. He also fished, and clammed. He grew up in many areas: Long Beach Island, Tuckerton, Mystic Island, and Little Egg Harbor. He attended Tuckerton Elementary and Tuckerton High School. Right now he lives by the bay in Little Egg Harbor. He has lived there a while and has lived in this area his whole life.
On Friday, April 3rd, we interviewed June LeMunion, a historical veteran of the community.
Vintage 1940s 1950s 1960s community hall 
Check out new books purchased by the OceanFirst Foundation grant!
Vintage 1940s 1950s 1960s Luncheon
Medieval Munch, bring your lunch!
Reading is fun!
Medieval Munch Luncheon
![When hunting deer, always place food around your area. If you hunted deer before and have their antlers, rattle them around. You should shoot them when [deer are] big not small. Count the antlers on your deer. You could have shot an 8. Hunters have games and win prizes. First you gut the deer, of course. [Zach F]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNC5H32Y5c9dpNgyAM3OMS7excoUOIJ_BCsNGKTSmEKSzEMsHGV7wiShzjJj31IUB2QhEIdCEC96eGIJYT6dKXefjTjG_VlGMUbwNOEd6zLpY710EL-nUQjFjGGOfiKfjyERzagCppRezt/s1600-h/DSC00795.JPG){kind=link}