Monroe Marx (l-r), a 65-year member of Shrewsbury Hose Co. No. 1, was presented with a special badge in recognition of his service by fire company President John Merris. SHREWSBURY — Shrewsbury Hose Company No. 1 honored Monroe “Butch” Marx for 65 years of service to the borough’s volunteer fire department at its annual dinner Jan. 10.
Marx was presented with a badge honoring his 65 years of service by fire company President John Merris.
“These next few moments cannot do justice to the years of dedication, service and commitment this individual has and continues to provide us,” Merris told those in attendance.
Shrewsbury Hose Company No. 1 was incorporated Nov. 10, 1908, with 21 charter members.
A lifelong resident of the borough, Marx was born in 1921 when Shrewsbury was primarily farmland and Broad Street was a two-lane thoroughfare where water wagons kept dust and dirt down in the summer, a bit of history that led Merris to quip, “So, contrary to popular belief, you are not older than dirt.”
Marx graduated from Shrewsbury Grammar School, then a four-room school located on Broad Street, and, in 1939, from Red Bank High School. After graduation, he worked in his father’s butcher shop.
Marx joined the fire company in 1942. Later that year, Marx enlisted in the Seabees and, after basic training, was assigned to the 33rd Naval Construction Battalion which served in Guadalcanal and New Zealand during World War II, including taking part in the Peleliu Island invasion.
Marx was honorably discharged and returned home on Dec. 23, 1945, promptly resuming responsibility for the family butcher shop. His service awards include the Pacific Theater Ribbon with four battle stars and the Good Conduct Medal.
He and his wife Effie were married on Sept. 8, 1946, in Red Bank and moved to Shrewsbury in 1949.
He served as chief of Shrewsbury Hose Company No. 1 in 1952. Marx’s community service also includes fire marshal for Shrewsbury Borough; special officer to the police department; a member of the Shrewsbury Board of Education and the Board of Health; a member of the Shrewsbury Masonic Lodge; recipient of the Shrewsbury Businessman of the Year award in 1972; captain and president of the Shrewsbury First Aid Squad; and president and trustee of the Shrewsbury Historical Society.