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Historians' search uncovers fire chief
Retired police detectives delve into their task
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
Bring two veteran police detectives together, give them a mystery to solve and watch what happens.
MITCH SHATZ Retired Freehold Township police detectives Jerry Ostrander (l) and Bill Hankins look over some of the documents they used in an attempt to locate a photograph of Frederick D. Bennett Sr., who served as a chief of the Freehold Fire Department. The photo below shows the space that was missing for the picture of Bennett.
In this case the officers were retired Freehold Township police Detective Sgt. Jerry Ostrander and retired Freehold Township police Detective Bill Hankins.
The mystery was the case of the missing photograph of the man who was the chief of the Freehold Fire Department in Freehold Borough from 1899 to 1901.
According to Freehold firefighter Mitch Shatz, pictures of all of the men who have served as chief hang on a wall of the fire department. The picture of one man was missing.
The missing man was Frederick Doddridge Bennett Sr. and now, through the efforts of Hankins and Ostrander a photo of Bennett has a spot of honor in the fire department.
"I believe former chief Bennett should be duly recognized just as the other former chiefs are," said Ostrander, who is a resident of Millstone Township
A conversation between Hankins and former chief Larry Jackson brought the issue to the forefront.
Hankins, of Smithburg, said he ran into Jackson at the Freehold Township municipal complex and the subject of the missing photo came up. Hankins, who said he is very interested in genealogy, told Jackson he would be glad to look into the issue.
"I took it upon myself as an amateur genealogist to look into the matter and try to find the photo," Hankins said.
At the same time, Shatz, on a recommendation from his future father in-law, Freehold Township police Detective Sgt. Jerry Kiwit, contacted Ostrander,.
Kiwit told Shatz that Ostrander is also very interested in genealogy.
"They said they had a mission for me," Ostrander said. "I came to the firehouse not knowing what it was they wanted me to do. When I found out what they needed, I agreed to help."
Frederick D. Bennett Sr.
As Kiwit said, "If Jerry can't find it, no one can."
The Monmouth County Historical Association became the place where the missing pieces of the case began to take shape. At first, neither Hankins nor Ostrander knew the other man was working on the project.
Hankins, who volunteers at the association, was working on the project when he noticed his former colleague's name on the sign-in sheet.
"You have to sign in and record what you are working on," he explained.
Hankins saw Ostrander's name and beside it was written the name Frederick Bennett. Hankins contacted Ostrander and the two sleuths started working on the project together.
Hankins said the staff members at the association's museum on Court Street in the borough were extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and even managed to help them locate a photo of Bennett as a child, but not one that was suitable for the wall of chiefs at the fire department.
"They located a photo of the former chief in some type of costume he wore in his youth. It wasn't a dignified photo and not suitable for the wall," Hankins said.
Hankins did manage to uncover some information about the Bennett family.
"Genealogy and police work have a great deal in common," Ostrander said. "Whatever skills you need to have to be a good police officer are the same skills you employ to research genealogy."
Ostrander had an interest in tracing his family roots.
Hankins said his interest in researching the past began with the country's bicentennial when he found out he had an ancestor who was a Revolutionary War hero.
Both men said it is "the thrill of the hunt" that gives them satisfaction, as well as the thrill of the "capture," so to speak.
"And we don't even need warrants for this work," Hankins said with good-natured humor. "There are no rules we have to follow now."
Ostrander said the pair's research led to many false leads, including a path that resulted in a visit with Florence Bennett, the mother of former state Sen. John O. Bennett.
"At this point we realized that the fire chief was linked to John O. Bennett, but not directly," he said.
The men contacted Nolan Higgins, a former chief of the Freehold Fire Department who operates the Higgins Memorial Home in the borough. Higgins told them that he remembered seeing a Bennett family plot at the Maplewood Cemetery in Freehold Township.
"He described to us where it was," Ostrander said. "We also visited Carl Steinberg, who is a local historian."
Hankins and Ostrander visited the cemetery, which is on West Main Street near the Freehold Raceway Mall, and located the headstone of Frederick Bennett, with the dates 1864 to 1919.
The men also located Charles A. Bennett and Eleanor Brown Clayton, Frederick's parents, as well as a family plot with the name of Pilot.
The name of Pierce Pilot, 1912 to 1987, sits alongside Louise Bennett, 1932 to present. After relaying that information to Higgins and Steinberg, both advised that Louise Bennett married Pierce Pilot, who was the original owner of Best Electric in Freehold.
Also in the family plot was John T. Bennett 1901 to 1963. As it turned out, John T. Bennett was buried by the Higgins Memorial Home.
Higgins recalled that Louise Bennett Pilot was the person who provided information about her father, John T. Bennett, to the funeral home.
Hankins eventually managed to find an obituary, a death certificate and the Last Will and Testament of Frederick Bennett.
He and Ostrander then tracked down a woman named Louise Bennett Pilot in South Carolina. They found a phone number and contacted her.
"I introduced myself on the phone," Ostrander said. "She seemed a bit leery at first, until I explained that we were searching for a photo of the chief for the wall. Louise revealed that Frederick D. Bennett was in fact, her grandfather."
Ostrander found out that Louise Bennett Pilot (now Louise Hite) has a daughter in the Freehold area.
Hite and her daughter searched through old scrapbooks and a fitting photograph of Frederick Doddridge Bennett was located. That picture has now taken its rightful place on the wall of former chiefs at the Freehold Fire Department.
According to his obituary, Bennett was a well-known Freehold resident and businessman. He attended the Freehold Institute and the Peekskill Military Academy in New York. He "engaged in business with Jaques and Marcus Jewelers in New York."
Bennett was married twice. His first wife, Mary Violet Thirlwall, of England, died several years before Bennett. He married his second wife, Mary Longcoy, just a year before his death.
Bennett had four children with Mary Violet— Mertena; John T.; Frederick Jr., who died of typhoid fever while in the armed services; and Charles, who died in infancy.
Bennett owned a men's furnishing store and was also part owner in a fountain pen company. He also established the Freehold Motor Company with the late William T. Buck, and built a garage on East Main Street.
He was the commander of the Freehold Company Uniform Rank and the Grand Master of Olive Branch Lodge F.&A.M., an officer of the Grand Lodge F.&A.M., a member of the Grand Templar and a life member of the Mecca Temple Mystic Shrine.
The obituary also stated that Bennett was the president of the Freehold Fire Department, foreman of the Goodwill Hook and Ladder Company and president of the Fireman's Relief Association.
Bennett served as director in the First National Bank of Freehold since his father's death. He was also a member of St. Peter's Church and at one time acted as a vestryman.
When asked why they would take on a project which ended up requiring so many hours of work, Ostrander said, "For the men who made so many sacrifices, this is the least we can do to honor them."
Although the two detectives finished the mission they set out to complete — finding a photo of Frederick Bennett — there is still more to do.
The detectives know that Frederick Jr. died in the service, and that Charles died in infancy. They also have a record of John's death.
Mertena is the only child of Frederick Bennett who is not accounted for, according to Hankins.
"She's our favorite," Hankins said with humor. "We're obsessed with finding her now."
Historians' search uncovers fire chief
Retired police detectives delve into their task
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
Bring two veteran police detectives together, give them a mystery to solve and watch what happens.
MITCH SHATZ Retired Freehold Township police detectives Jerry Ostrander (l) and Bill Hankins look over some of the documents they used in an attempt to locate a photograph of Frederick D. Bennett Sr., who served as a chief of the Freehold Fire Department. The photo below shows the space that was missing for the picture of Bennett.
In this case the officers were retired Freehold Township police Detective Sgt. Jerry Ostrander and retired Freehold Township police Detective Bill Hankins.
The mystery was the case of the missing photograph of the man who was the chief of the Freehold Fire Department in Freehold Borough from 1899 to 1901.
According to Freehold firefighter Mitch Shatz, pictures of all of the men who have served as chief hang on a wall of the fire department. The picture of one man was missing.
The missing man was Frederick Doddridge Bennett Sr. and now, through the efforts of Hankins and Ostrander a photo of Bennett has a spot of honor in the fire department.
"I believe former chief Bennett should be duly recognized just as the other former chiefs are," said Ostrander, who is a resident of Millstone Township
A conversation between Hankins and former chief Larry Jackson brought the issue to the forefront.
Hankins, of Smithburg, said he ran into Jackson at the Freehold Township municipal complex and the subject of the missing photo came up. Hankins, who said he is very interested in genealogy, told Jackson he would be glad to look into the issue.
"I took it upon myself as an amateur genealogist to look into the matter and try to find the photo," Hankins said.
At the same time, Shatz, on a recommendation from his future father in-law, Freehold Township police Detective Sgt. Jerry Kiwit, contacted Ostrander,.
Kiwit told Shatz that Ostrander is also very interested in genealogy.
"They said they had a mission for me," Ostrander said. "I came to the firehouse not knowing what it was they wanted me to do. When I found out what they needed, I agreed to help."
Frederick D. Bennett Sr.
As Kiwit said, "If Jerry can't find it, no one can."
The Monmouth County Historical Association became the place where the missing pieces of the case began to take shape. At first, neither Hankins nor Ostrander knew the other man was working on the project.
Hankins, who volunteers at the association, was working on the project when he noticed his former colleague's name on the sign-in sheet.
"You have to sign in and record what you are working on," he explained.
Hankins saw Ostrander's name and beside it was written the name Frederick Bennett. Hankins contacted Ostrander and the two sleuths started working on the project together.
Hankins said the staff members at the association's museum on Court Street in the borough were extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and even managed to help them locate a photo of Bennett as a child, but not one that was suitable for the wall of chiefs at the fire department.
"They located a photo of the former chief in some type of costume he wore in his youth. It wasn't a dignified photo and not suitable for the wall," Hankins said.
Hankins did manage to uncover some information about the Bennett family.
"Genealogy and police work have a great deal in common," Ostrander said. "Whatever skills you need to have to be a good police officer are the same skills you employ to research genealogy."
Ostrander had an interest in tracing his family roots.
Hankins said his interest in researching the past began with the country's bicentennial when he found out he had an ancestor who was a Revolutionary War hero.
Both men said it is "the thrill of the hunt" that gives them satisfaction, as well as the thrill of the "capture," so to speak.
"And we don't even need warrants for this work," Hankins said with good-natured humor. "There are no rules we have to follow now."
Ostrander said the pair's research led to many false leads, including a path that resulted in a visit with Florence Bennett, the mother of former state Sen. John O. Bennett.
"At this point we realized that the fire chief was linked to John O. Bennett, but not directly," he said.
The men contacted Nolan Higgins, a former chief of the Freehold Fire Department who operates the Higgins Memorial Home in the borough. Higgins told them that he remembered seeing a Bennett family plot at the Maplewood Cemetery in Freehold Township.
"He described to us where it was," Ostrander said. "We also visited Carl Steinberg, who is a local historian."
Hankins and Ostrander visited the cemetery, which is on West Main Street near the Freehold Raceway Mall, and located the headstone of Frederick Bennett, with the dates 1864 to 1919.
The men also located Charles A. Bennett and Eleanor Brown Clayton, Frederick's parents, as well as a family plot with the name of Pilot.
The name of Pierce Pilot, 1912 to 1987, sits alongside Louise Bennett, 1932 to present. After relaying that information to Higgins and Steinberg, both advised that Louise Bennett married Pierce Pilot, who was the original owner of Best Electric in Freehold.
Also in the family plot was John T. Bennett 1901 to 1963. As it turned out, John T. Bennett was buried by the Higgins Memorial Home.
Higgins recalled that Louise Bennett Pilot was the person who provided information about her father, John T. Bennett, to the funeral home.
Hankins eventually managed to find an obituary, a death certificate and the Last Will and Testament of Frederick Bennett.
He and Ostrander then tracked down a woman named Louise Bennett Pilot in South Carolina. They found a phone number and contacted her.
"I introduced myself on the phone," Ostrander said. "She seemed a bit leery at first, until I explained that we were searching for a photo of the chief for the wall. Louise revealed that Frederick D. Bennett was in fact, her grandfather."
Ostrander found out that Louise Bennett Pilot (now Louise Hite) has a daughter in the Freehold area.
Hite and her daughter searched through old scrapbooks and a fitting photograph of Frederick Doddridge Bennett was located. That picture has now taken its rightful place on the wall of former chiefs at the Freehold Fire Department.
According to his obituary, Bennett was a well-known Freehold resident and businessman. He attended the Freehold Institute and the Peekskill Military Academy in New York. He "engaged in business with Jaques and Marcus Jewelers in New York."
Bennett was married twice. His first wife, Mary Violet Thirlwall, of England, died several years before Bennett. He married his second wife, Mary Longcoy, just a year before his death.
Bennett had four children with Mary Violet— Mertena; John T.; Frederick Jr., who died of typhoid fever while in the armed services; and Charles, who died in infancy.
Bennett owned a men's furnishing store and was also part owner in a fountain pen company. He also established the Freehold Motor Company with the late William T. Buck, and built a garage on East Main Street.
He was the commander of the Freehold Company Uniform Rank and the Grand Master of Olive Branch Lodge F.&A.M., an officer of the Grand Lodge F.&A.M., a member of the Grand Templar and a life member of the Mecca Temple Mystic Shrine.
The obituary also stated that Bennett was the president of the Freehold Fire Department, foreman of the Goodwill Hook and Ladder Company and president of the Fireman's Relief Association.
Bennett served as director in the First National Bank of Freehold since his father's death. He was also a member of St. Peter's Church and at one time acted as a vestryman.
When asked why they would take on a project which ended up requiring so many hours of work, Ostrander said, "For the men who made so many sacrifices, this is the least we can do to honor them."
Although the two detectives finished the mission they set out to complete — finding a photo of Frederick Bennett — there is still more to do.
The detectives know that Frederick Jr. died in the service, and that Charles died in infancy. They also have a record of John's death.
Mertena is the only child of Frederick Bennett who is not accounted for, according to Hankins.
"She's our favorite," Hankins said with humor. "We're obsessed with finding her now."