One Family’s Century-long Journey to the Jersey Shore
By Tammy Thornton
Whether you live at the Jersey Shore year round or only visit in the summer, keeping certain traditions is part of the nostalgia of visiting the beach and boardwalk every summer. Grandma must have her funnel cake or dad his Johnson’s Popcorn, and of course, the kids want to go on the rides. But for one family, these traditions have been going strong for 104 years!
The Kegel family, originally from Philadelphia, started spending summers in South Jersey in 1915. Back then, Walter Kegel was only four years old when his father began taking the family to Atlantic City every summer. Later, Walter and his wife, Ruth, would continue the tradition. Their only son Alan recalls his time at the Million Dollar Pier and Steel Pier—long before the days of the casinos. Beachgoers In their bathing attire had to walk under the boardwalk to get to the beach. Above, men were dressed in suits and ties, while the women wore dresses and high heels—complete with rubber coverings to keep their heels from getting stuck between the boards. He fondly remembers the diving horse and packing picnic lunches for the Steel Pier, where there were enough activities to keep the family busy all day. One memorable yearly event was the famous “Around the Island Swim”, a 22.5 mile contest which attracted the world’s best professional marathon swimmers sponsored by Steel Pier owner, George Hamid Jr., who offered a $5,000 prize—quite a sum in those days. Walter and Alan would follow the swimmers by taking jitneys along their path. The winners could take 7-8 hours to finish.
After trying Wildwood for a couple of years, the Kegel family settled in Ocean City and found their home away from home. By then, the family lived in Alden, Pennsylvania, and Walter worked long, hard hours. Alan did not see much of his dad during the year. But summertime was family time. Though they didn’t have a lot of money, Walter’s priority was saving enough for their summer vacation in Ocean City. Alan remembers going to the boardwalk to watch movies with his parents. One of those films was an “aquamusical” by the famous swimmer and actress, Esther Williams. After watching her backstroke in the film, they were instantly inspired to learn to swim, using this method. He also recalls going to dances as a young man at the Ocean City Boardwalk Hall, until it burned down in 1965.
Alan and his wife, Linda, have kept the tradition going strong by bringing their three children to the Jersey Shore. Now, those children are grown and the Kegel clan numbers 13, including spouses and six grandchildren. From a young age, the kids are taught the Kegel’s favorite sport—body surfing. Catching the perfect wave has become the ultimate goal. When Grandpa Walt was in his 80’s and couldn’t see very well, he would ask someone to “point me to the beach” so he could bodysurf. Grandma Ruth preferred gentle days and loved to float.
Before the family grew to include the fifth generation, they stayed in a house they lovingly called “The Shack” from 1990-99. It suited their needs, though it was one of the oldest houses along the shoreline at that time. It didn’t have the modern conveniences of the houses they rent today, but it was an affordable way to have a house right on the beach. Alan’s and Linda’s daughter, Kathleen, recalls seeing the sand below through the floorboards.
While the Kegel family usually vacationed about two weeks, Kathleen remembers staying the entire summer during one of her college year breaks. Her dad said she needed to make enough money to pay her summer rent and still have funds left to put towards tuition. She worked three jobs on the boardwalk to keep her end of the deal, and was finally able to put her tired feet in the ocean late at night.
Today, the Kegels travel in different directions from far and wide to reach their yearly destination of Ocean City. They have lived in Ohio, Chicago, Tennessee, Denver, and even leave the beautiful beaches of Malibu, California to be together. For them, it’s about family relationships, continuity, and making time together a priority. Though career changes have taken the siblings to different states and as far as the West Coast, they find their way to the Jersey Shore every summer. Alan said, “It feels like you’re coming home.”
Keeping traditions give a family stability, something they can count on when the world around them is constantly changing. Kriss (Kegel) and Randy Pearce have moved with their three children quite a bit in the last few years, due to career changes. Their 16 year old daughter, Ellie, said, “I feel like it’s one of the only stable things in my life, because we’ve moved around a lot in my life. But Ocean City never changes.”
Create annual traditions for your family. As the years pass, your unique habits will become a unifying force. As life changes, they will look back on those traditions with nostalgia. For your children, they will be an anchor to hold on to when storms come their way.
Tammy Thornton is a mom of four, a substitute teacher, and a Sunday school teacher. She is passionate about gardening and cooking, and loves the beach.
Shore Local News would love to hear about your family’s traditions at the Jersey Shore. Please send your family traditions stories or ideas for “Hidden Gems of South Jersey” to shorelocalnews@gmail.com
