| Verona Policeman Dies of Injuries Sustained in Accident |
| Friday, May 20, 1938-- Services will be held tomorrow for Theodore R. Braun, 24, of 451 Bloomfield Avenue, the first member of the Verona Police Department to have been killed in the performance of his duty. He died in Mountainside hospital Wednesday night of injuries sustained in an accident which occurred while he was pursuing a speeding motorist Saturday. The funeral will be held from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frederic A. Braun of 84 Personette Avenue, parents of the police officer. A police guard of honor will remain on duty at the home until the time for services. A solemn high mass of requiem will be celebrated at Our Lady of the Lake Church at 10 o'clock, with the Rev. James J. Kelly, pastor, as celebrant, the Rev. Sylvester P. McVeigh as deacon and the Rev. Edward Kane as sub-deacon. Interment will follow in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery at Hanover. Named a Chanceman on June 15, last, Mr. Braun was on Motorcycle patrol duty when the accident occurred. He was travelling east on Bloomfield Avenue when a speeder passed him. Swinging his motorcycle he took up the chase, sounding his siren as he speeded up his machine. Meanwhile, William F. Fismer of 33 Chestnut Street, employed by the Golden Lad Dairy almost directly across Bloomfield Avenue from Mr. Braun's home, parked his car in front of the officer's house and started across the street. As Mr. Fismer's hearing is not acute, he did not perceive the motorcycle until too late to get out of the way. He is in Mountainside Hospital. He sustained a fractured pelvis and injuries to his head and left arm. Thrown over the handlebars of the motorcycle, Mr. Braun sustained a skull fracture, from which he never regained consciousness. An emergency operation Monday and a transfusion Wednesday failed to help him. A native of the borough, Mr. Braun attended Our Lady of the Lake School, from which he was graduated in 1932. He was a member of the Holy Name Society of Our Lady of the Lake Church. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Emma Braun; a daughter, Evelyn Braun, 2, of the Bloomfield Avenue address, and his parents, two sisters, the Misses Anita and Bernice Braun, and two brothers, Vincent and Norbert Braun, all of the Personette Avenue address. A charter member of the Verona Canoe Club, Mr. Braun was enrolled in the National Guard. He was a member of the police pistol team, taking part in matches which recently placed his team in first place in the Intercounty League. Honorary pallbearers tomorrow will include former classmates and personal friends, most of them members of the canoe club: Walter Kiefer, Walter Lehrer, George McCusker, James McCusker, Jr., Arnold Meyer and James Reilly, Jr. Sergeants Raymond M. Johnson and Arthur H. Zink and Patrolmen Edgar D. Coffin, Paul P. Gelpke, Charles K. Marchant and Earl N. Mills will be the pallbearers. The Montclair Times, May 20, 1938 |
| Verona Police Department February, 1938 (3 months prior to Theodore Braun's Death) Back Row Left to right: Newton Terry, Jacob Buehler, Edgar Coffin, Charles Marchant, Paul Gelpke, Albert Collins middle row left to right: Theodore Braun, Warren Hogan, Earl Mills, Lt. Benjamin Zarr, Sgt. Raymond Johnson, Sgt. Arthur Zink Front: Chief Clarence Rowland Photo and Description courtesy of Mr. Tom Collins, son of Patrolman Albert Collins |
| Verona Canoe Club 1930 Of Which Braun was a member |
| Braun Family Plot Gate of Heaven Cemetery East Hanover, NJ Sec. 35, Block D, Plot # 58 |
| The goal of this project is to preserve the memory of these heroes and not let their stories be lost to history. Their sacrifices should be honored and their histories should be available to school children and adults to learn about the heroic Verona residents who came before them. It is vital that friends and family of these heroes be found, so that they may share pictures, service records, and other information to add to these stories. If you are a family member or friend of one of these heroes, or you know someone who is or may have additional information, please contact: Robert Caruso Heritage Preservation Associates Verona, New Jersey veronaheroes@heritagepreservation.us |
| This Website is maintained by Heritage Preservation Associates |
| Verona Hero |
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Verona Policeman Theodore R. Braun
| Verona Residence: 451 Bloomfield Ave 84 Personette Ave |
