Joshua Alexander Swiss

   Cause of his death was Heart Problems.

  Birth Notes:

U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
Name:Joshua a Swiss Birth Date:27 Oct 1880 Residence:Hudson, New Jersey Birth:Kearny, New Jersey Race:White Roll:WWII_2372590

Image of card shows Joshua A. Swiss as his signature.

  Death Notes:

Died at 65 Pavonia Avenue

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Employment, 1900, Kearny, Hudson, New Jersey, USA. Worked as a "Cotton Spinner" for Clark Thread Company, Kearney, Hudson, NJ. both at age 19 and from the 1920 Census at age 39.

2. Civic Service: Volunteer Fireman: Kearny, Hudson, New Jersey, USA. Was a volunteer fireman for Kearny Fire Department. Told of sleeping with fireman's clothing by his bedside. When there was a fire, someone would run to the neighborhood fire house and hammer on a big iron ring. Joshua lived close to the fire house and he would jump out of bed and into his fireman's clothing. He would run to the fire house and would light the tinder in the fire box of the steam pumper. He would then pull a rope which would cause the harness for the horses to drop down from above landing on the horses backs. He would run under the horses and tighten the cinches. He would throw more wood on the pumper fire and as soon as enough other fireman arrived, he would pull the rope to open the doors of the firehouse and would drive the pumper to the fire. Other volunteers would hang on to the pumper, with the rest running behind. He said the horses would become very excited as soon as they heard the ring, since it meant that they would soon be pulling the pumper to the fire. This account is from oral history as remembered by Robert J. Warwick. Joshua would tell the story over and over at Robert's request (Robert was about 3 years old at the time).

Robert has Joshua's fireman's badge still in his possession. Robert contacted the Kearny fire department in about 2000, and a fireman who was in charge of the department's history looked at some old records. He was able to find information about Joshua by the number on the badge. Apparently there is a journal of meetings and fires that the volunteer fire department participated in. Eventually Kearny changed to a paid fire department. Joshua has a gold plated pin with the name Exempt on it. This apparently signified that he did not have to pay dues to the fire department, but I am not sure why this information was significant.

3. Residence: 65 Pavonia Ave, Abt 1935, Kearny, Hudson, New Jersey, USA.

4. Social Security Number: SSN: 152-07-7112, 1936.

Joshua married Mary Donohue in 1904. (Mary Donohue was born about 1883 and died on 1 Nov 1905 in East Newark, Hudson, New Jersey, USA.)

Joshua next married Elizabeth Robertson, daughter of John Robertson and Marion Connel, about 1909. (Elizabeth Robertson was born on 28 Aug 1883 in Harrison, Hudson, New Jersey, USA and died before 1938 in Kearny, Hudson, New Jersey, USA.)