 1852 - 1934 (82 years)
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| Name |
Aaron A. TURSE |
| Born |
29 Aug 1852 |
Werimus, Bergen Co, NJ  [1] |
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| Christened |
? |
| Gender |
Male |
| CAUS |
Cardiac Vascular Disease |
| OCCU |
Constable, County Sheriff's Office, Hackensack, Bergen/Painter |
| RES |
Centre Ave Westwood NJ |
| Died |
2 Nov 1934 |
530 4th Ave, Westwood, NJ [2] |
| Buried |
6 Nov 1934 |
Westwood Cemetery |
| Person ID |
I7 |
The Turses |
| Last Modified |
24 May 2016 |
| Father |
Aaron (Arie) TURSE, b. 17 Jul 1810, possibly Rockland County NY , d. 20 Jan 1872, Bergen County, NJ (Age 61 years) |
| Mother |
Mary Ann THORP, b. Abt 1830, New York , d. 18 Jan 1902, Westwood, Bergen Co, NJ (Age ~ 72 years) |
| Married |
Abt 1862 |
Prob Bergen, NJ [3] |
| Family ID |
F28 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Sarrah A. STRAUT, b. 19 Aug 1851, Mahwah, NJ , d. 16 Nov 1919, Westwood, NJ (Age 68 years) |
| Married |
1 Jan 1873 |
Westwood, Bergen Co, NJ [4] |
| Children |
| | 1. Sanford Alexander TURSE, b. 26 Jan 1880, Westwood, Bergen, NJ , d. 16 Dec 1951, 65 Chestnut St. Park Ridge, NJ (in home of Hazel Hering) (Age 71 years) |
| | 2. Garrett C. TURSE, b. 21 Jul 1874, d. 1945, Westwood, Bergen, NJ (Age 70 years) |
| | 3. Abram J. TURSE, b. 10 Mar 1877, Westwood, Bergen Co, NJ , d. 4 Oct 1914 (Age 37 years) |
| | 4. Aaron A., Jr. TURSE, b. 7 Jan 1884, Westwood, NJ , d. 4 Mar 1949, Westwood, Bergen Co, NJ (Age 65 years) |
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| Histories |
 | Aaron Turse in Early Westwood
Westwood was a new borough, and Aaron served as a town marshal, volunteer fireman, and member of the first school board. Download this document containing a collection of short stories about Aaron in the early years of the borough's history. |
| Last Modified |
7 Apr 2009 |
| Family ID |
F4 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Photos
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 | Aaron A. Turse, Sr. about the time of his marriage to Sarah
Original is on tin |
 | Aaron A. Turse Sr. was a Bergen County Deputy Sheriff. This photo of the Sheriffs Department outside the Bergen County Jail was probably taken about 1920.
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 | Aaron Turse in uniform at the Bergen County Grand Jury.
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![Aaron Turse (on porch) with sons Garret, Abram, Sanford, and Aaron, Jr. in front (L-R) [not verified]](photos/thumb_LakeHouse2.jpg "Aaron Turse (on porch) with sons Garret, Abram, Sanford, and Aaron, Jr. in front (L-R) [not verified]") | Aaron Turse (on porch) with sons Garret, Abram, Sanford, and Aaron, Jr. in front (L-R) [not verified]
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 | Aaron Turse
Aaron loved his beer and loved a good cigar. He also liked to have his picture taken each year, or at least every few years with his favorite things. We really like this picture taken about 1910 or so, since it seems to capture the mischievous spirit he was known for, along with the telling of tall tales of chasing bad guys on horseback as the first Marshall of Westwood, NJ during his early days in law enforcement in Bergen County, NJ. |
 | Aaron Turse
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| Headstones |
 | Aaron A Turse & Sarrah Straut
Aaron Turse was one of Westwood’s first pair of marshalls, and was a member of Westwood’s first board of education. He was also appointed borough poormaster, was a member of the Westwood volunteer fire department, and was a member of the Odd Fellow’s fraternal organization present in Westwood at the time. |
| Histories |
| Aaron Turse in Early Westwood
Westwood was a new borough, and Aaron served as a town marshal, volunteer fireman, and member of the first school board. Download this document containing a collection of short stories about Aaron in the early years of the borough's history. |
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| Notes |
- The first Marshall of Westwood Borough, he also served as a volunteer fireman, a member of the Board of Education, and as a member of the Board of Health. In his later years he was a deputy sheriff, and served at the court house in Hackensack. As a young man, in 1874, he worked for Genest Ottignon at his livery stables. Genest Ottignon was the first Westwood Fire Chief. Also as a young man, he also worked as a painter . The 1880 census has him living in Washington Township.
He was active in the community and well known locally, and often included in local news. One of the more unusual stories of the times, in October 1885, Westwood was struck by a forceful tornado. It tore up the new school house for which the village had just paid $5,000, crushing it and carrying off all but the floor timbers. Aaron saw the roof of the schoolhouse go, and grabbed two children and Sarah and ran into the yard to cling to a large tree in the yard. The village church was torn from its foundations and lifted 30 feet into the air. Barns were leveled and houses destroyed. The tornado tore a path about 200 feet wide and nearly two miles long.
Shortly after the official incorporation of the town as the Borough of Westwood on May 8, 1894, Mayor Isaac D. Bogert appointed the first two true law enforcement Officers in the newly formed Borough. Aaron Tuers and Genest Housman were officially appointed as Marshals and tasked primarily with the enforcement of a bicycle ordinance. Their compensation was $2.00 of each $5.00 fine levied against offenders. This system of compensation was certainly not perfect and sometimes required improvisation on behalf of the original Mayor and Council. On one occasion, when two men were found cycling on the sidewalks and did not have money to pay the fines, one of their bicycles was confiscated. The record does not indicated whether the Marshals or the treasury suffered the loss when the Mayor was unable to sell the bicycle for more than $8.00 to cover the two fines a few months later. Aaron remained a Marshall for a few more years, until the early 1900’s.
He owned a home at 530 4th Avenue Westwood, NJ. Sons - Sanford + Aaron. Abram’s grandson, Claude J. was brother to Muriel
Death certificate lists Mary Thorp as maiden name of his mother.
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| Sources |
- [S9] The Zabriskie Family, George Olin Zabriskie.
- [S2] Death Certificate.
- [S11] IGI File, 0822026.
- [S19] IGI File.
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