Norman W. Stinger

The Stinger family’s roots in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia go back to 1770, and originated in Germany. The tree that sprung from those roots grew a lot of branches; Norman was the fifth of 11 children and his marriage produced eight offspring.

It wasn’t less than a year after he married Jennie Murphy in 1907 that he began his life’s work as a patrolman for Philly’s finest. He might have been influenced by his brother George, who was on the force at the time. He rose to become a lieutenant in charge of the 20th District and put in 22 years before leaving to become a car salesman.

Norman lasted much longer, serving nearly 41 years, and had a heroic moment in the early years of his career. There was a disruption in the middle of a funeral procession in 1912. A horse was spooked by the sound of a loud automobile horn which, in those days, was an unfamiliar sound. The driver was thrown off and the horse bolted down a side street with four people being thrown about inside the carriage.

Norman was patrolling on that street when he saw the animal out of control and 10-year-old Marie Keebler in the horse’s path. He threw the child out of harm’s way and tried to grab the horse’s bridle to stop it. He was thrown off in the attempt and landed on a fire hydrant, breaking his arm. The girl, driver, and passengers suffered a few bruises but were otherwise unhurt.

On the final day of his career he was struck, not by a horse but by a vehicle as he got out of his patrol car. He and a partner were responding to a burglar alarm at a business on Ridge Avenue in Spring Garden. He died 11 days later.

The memorial plaque below was dedicated some 60 years later by the Fraternal Order of Police. It was installed on the sidewalk in front of the Laborers District Council Pension Fund office at 1361 Ridge Ave. Coincidentally, that’s just a block north of where the accident occurred. Norman would be pleased to know that one of his grandsons, Jackie McCullough, paid a special tribute to him by wearing his badge number, 3764, when he served in the police department.

Jennie had passed away in 1940, and Norman joined her in Section 141, Lot 79. His parents and several siblings are buried in Lot 69, and several other relatives are in other sections.