Mildred Redlus, 103, longtime Camden teacher

Mildred Redlus, 103, a second-grade teacher in Camden from the 1930s into the 1970s, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, at her home in Century Village, a retirement community in Boca Raton, Fla.

"She was a neat lady," a niece, Nila Aronow, said. And at school, "she believed in discipline.

"One of the stories she loved to tell," Aronow said, was when as a second grade teacher, she was a playground monitor during classroom recess.

When a first grader "was acting out," Aronow said, "she reprimanded him: 'Wait until I get you in second grade.' And he was really scared."

But his parents went to the school and thanked her, Aronow said, as others often did.

"She would hug her children, would buy them pencils and erasers and construction paper," materials that their families could not afford, "and give them prizes for doing well in school."

Born in Camden, she graduated from Camden High School in 1927 and earned a teaching certificate at what is now Millersville University.

She had to take college classes during her summer vacations from teaching, spending years to earn a bachelor's in elementary education at what is now Rowan University.

In the Great Depression of the 1930s, Aronow said, "teaching jobs were hard to get, so she substituted," while working as a secretary at Radio Corp. of America in Camden.

Miss Redlus taught at the Alfred Cramer and Thomas H. Dudley Elementary Schools, always in second grade.

Some summers, Aronow said, she also taught in the schools' playground programs, which children attended to learn arts and crafts.

"She could make anything from a piece of construction paper, tissue paper," Aronow said.

She was a life member of Hadassah, knitting and crocheting untold numbers of lap robes that she donated to nursing homes in South Jersey and in Florida.

"Very colorful yarn," Aronow said. "She felt old people would appreciate having bright colors. Her house was filled with colorful yarn."

Besides her niece, Miss Redlus is survived by a brother, two nephews and a niece, 11 great-nieces and great-nephews, and 17 great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews.

A graveside service was set for 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Crescent Memorial Park, 7349 Westfield Ave., Pennsauken.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.plattmemorial.com.