Who's Who at Downtown Meeting Gospel Hall, Philadelphia, PA

Downtown Meeting Gospel Hall, Philadelphia, PA (OB) 1884-1952

Correspondents

• David Simpson +1922-1927+

Notable Families

Campbell family

Irish co-founder.

• James Campbell 1884+

Matthews family

Irish co-founder.

• William Matthews 1884+

Strom family

As per his obit, Charles Strom died at the Longport Gospel Hall Home near Atlantic City, NJ where he had served as its secretary of the board of trustees for 18 years. During WWII, he had served in the Army medical group, then was employed 1947-1974 as a traffic manager for an auto supplies factory in Camden, under the leadership of Richard Milton Hollingshead, Jr. (1900-1975), who in 1933 invented the world's first drive-in theater on Admiral Wilson Blvd.

Ruth's husband David, who was promoted to Glory on Jan. 14, 2025 (see his memorial tribute was a longtime correspondent and elder at Pennsauken Gospel Hall near Camden. He "worked tirelessly to meet the spiritual and practical needs of many in the area over the years, including those in other area assemblies, in particular the Olney Gospel Hall" in NE Philadelphia. He "loved to study the Bible and share what he learned with others in helpful ways."

As per his tribute, he graduated in 1963 from Haddonfield Memorial High School, and "earned a BA in Chemistry from Rutgers", including "two summers with Rutgers Biology Estuarine Research in Great Bay", New Jersey. He subsequently spent "several years in graduate research in Physical Organic Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. He worked for many years as an Advanced Chemist in the laboratory of ExxonMobil's Paulsboro refinery, and later with Valero until his retirement in 2010."

One by his name was also varsity baseball coach at Manhattan College, and elected president of the Metropolitan Collegiate Baseball Conference (MCC) in 1967, as per Camden Courier-Post.

• Charles James Strom +1947 (b. 1912 South Philadelphia, PA - d. 1997 Longport, NJ)
• Matilda Jane Keen Strom +1947 (b. 1916 Phil., PA - d. 2002 Pennsauken Twp., NJ), daughter of Lawrence Keen (1877-1950 Phil., PA) & Matilda Ann Hood Keen (b. 1880 Strabane, Co. Tyrone, N.I. - d. 1944 Phil., PA). In 1920, Lawrence was employed in Phil. as a pipe fitter for an oil refinery.
  • Ruth Ann Strom Curran 1943-1947 (b. 1943). Husband (1966): David Arnot Curran (1945-2025 Haddonfield, NJ), son of Everett Robert Curran, Sr. (b. 1902 Haddonfield, NJ) & Ruth Beatrice Caskey Curran (b. 1903 Crafton, Pgh., PA - d. 1962 Haddonfield, NJ). Everett was a son of Robert J. Curran who was called a shoe store pioneer in Camden in his obit. Everett's sister Ruth (1902-1998) died at Longport Gospel Hall Home.

Sources

• AAB's 1922 & 1927

• • 1st annual Conference Christmas Day 1887: preachers Donald & Charles Ross, James Campbell, William Matthews, Norman Case, Frank Cook, William Staner, David Oliver & John Haliburton;
  • c/o David Simpson @ 4619 Hazel Ave. +1922-1927+;