By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
In the last few months, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of speaking with some very, very longtime residents: 99-year-old Pete Heckers, and 96-year-old Eleanor Seaver. The lives they’ve lived and the stories they tell give us a unique snapshot of Pennsauken’s past.
A Well Built Life
Ninety-nine year old Pete Heckers’ family moved to Pennsauken around 1924. His family home, an old farmhouse on Myrtle Ave., resided on a dirt road. There were a lot of dirt roads back then, and Route 130 didn’t even exist. “There were trolley cars that ran along Westfield Ave.,” says Heckers, “We’d run along the trolley cars and occasionally ‘shill’ a ride.”
Pete went to elementary school in town and graduated from Merchantville High School in 1934. But many of his old classmates would know him as “Joe.” It turns out his mother sent him off to school with the birth certificate of his brother, who passed away at six months of age.
“I was Peter Joseph Heckers; my brother was Joseph Peter Heckers,” explains Pete. “I went to school, bought a home, opened a bank account and enlisted in the services as ‘Joe.’ It wasn’t until later that I had to reinstate my position. That’s why I write my name as Peter ‘Joe’ Heckers, so that people realize I’m the Joe Heckers that they knew.”
Regardless of what name he was called, Pete has lived quite the life. A member of “the Greatest Generation,” Pete was a military pilot for the Army, then the Air Force, flying a Martin B-26 Twin Engine Bomber in the European Theater. “I flew 25 combat missions and went in for a second tour, but the war ended,” says Heckers. “We stayed over there to pick up the pieces, came back home on the Queen Mary, and stayed here [in Pennsauken] forever.”
Pete settled down, got married and had a son. He still lives in Pennsauken, in the home he built by hand in 1956. It took two years to “complete.”
“There are things in the house that still aren’t finished,” joked Heckers.
Both his wife and his son passed away from cancer many, many years ago, sadly within six months of each other. He has no relatives locally, save the Lukasiaks, his next door neighbors who are more like family. “I’ve been ‘adopted.’ They have been very good to me,” says Pete.
At 99, Heckers realizes that the “boat’s coming into the harbor.” But even with the challenges that come with old age, Pete has put things truly in perspective. “What can I say? I don’t have much farther to go, that’s for sure. Through it all, the ‘Man Upstairs’ has been good to me.”
Fond Memories Of Childhood
Eleanor Seaver, age 96, has very fond and vivid memories of her childhood in Pennsauken. At age three, her parents built their home a stone’s throw from Central School, which had just been built. “My grandparents used to live on Hillcrest and my parents bought land from them right by Central School,” explains Seaver. “I could go right across the athletic field and go to school.”
Seaver attended first grade at Central; the next year, the school became a Junior High. When she returned, years later, Eleanor very much enjoyed her time there.
“Junior High was wonderful. I was in fashion shows there. I remember dressing up as a daffodil. I had a sewing class, which I loved. I enjoyed civics, science, drawing and cooking.”
Fast forward to today: Eleanor now lives in Pennsauken Senior Towers. In fact, she was one of the original residents when it first opened, over 30 years ago. She’s spent time as the “Sunshine Lady,” welcoming new residents to the community, and enjoys talking with her good friend and confidant, Ed Silver. “I can tell Ed anything. If he hears anyone has a problem, he’s there to help.”
Eleanor mused about the many changes she’s seen Pennsauken has undergone throughout her life. But overall, she maintains a positive attitude. “Life changes and you change with it.”
