Late Doctor honored with new headstone. Dr. Hornberger was a household name in Roebling

Late doctor honored with new headstone

By:Michael Maugeri, Managing Editor October 03, 2001

Dr. Hornberger was a household name in Roebling

    FLORENCE — Steady rain and chilly winds could not extinguish the spirit of those gathered to honor the memory of a caring man who was a credit to the medical profession. Under a gray sky and green canopy, more than 60 people gathered Sunday at Cedar Hill Cemetery for the Dr. J. Howard Hornberger Memorial Monument Dedication Ceremony.

Residents of the village of Roebling and members of Dr. Hornberger's family gathered at the physician's grave to dedicate the new headstone recently placed at the site through efforts of the Roebling Garden Club.

The granite marker was engraved with a picture of the doctor with the phrase, "Hornberger, Dr. J. Howard, who served the village of Roebling for 40 years, 1896-1968."

Roebling resident Daniel Roth acted as master of ceremonies and lifelong Roebling resident Helen Bordash led an invocation.

"Lord, let us feel your presence in all that we say and do today," she said.

In light of the Sept. 11 attacks, she asked God to "lift the ignorance that clouds our world" and noted how Americans are now "connected through shared vulnerability."

Roebling Garden Club member and Township Councilman Harry Robinson said although he wasn't born and raised in the village, after talking to residents and reading comments about the doctor, he thinks Dr. Hornberger must have been a "very remarkable man." "In this time when house calls are rare, it's good to honor a doctor who could remember you without a chart," he said.

Township Mayor Michael Muchowski noted how the dedication ceremony slashed through local political party lines. "It's very unusual that all the members of the Township Council are here," he said. "It's not because of politics that we are here. It's because of the amazing stories we've heard (about the doctor)."

Because he was only 4 when Dr. Hornberger passed away, Mayor Muchowski said he asked his father what kind of man the doctor was. "My father said he was as steady as a rock and didn't care about a person's race, color or creed. He was a true American."


Roebling Garden Club President Loretta Varga, and her husband, Paul, were presented with an American flag as a way to thank them for their tireless efforts in putting the dedication together.

A total of 16 relatives of Dr. Hornberger attended the event, including his three children: Dr. Robert Hornberger of Florida, Jeanne Hornberger White of Ohio and Joan P. Jespersen of Sparta in Sussex County.


"Words cannot express the emotion we all feel today," said an emotional Ms. Jespersen. "Thank you for being here today to pay tribute my dad. It may seem strange that a woman of my age would refer to her father as daddy, but he was, and always will be, daddy to me."

Ms. Jespersen said that with all the emotion she felt about the day, "The words 'thank you' seem terribly inadequate."

Dr. Robert Hornberger thanked the garden club and relayed a quote from anthropologist Margaret Mead which he said best expressed what can happen when a group of people, such as the club, get together to do good.

"She said, 'Never doubt a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has,' " he said.

Stories were told about the doctor that ranged from touching to hilarious.

The crowd laughed hard when Roebling Historian Louis Borbi described what would happen in his house after Dr. Hornberger treated him for illnesses as a child. "He and my father would sit down and the doctor would pour this 'medicine' in a glass," Mr. Borbi said to crowd giggles. "They'd pour this 'medicine' in a glass and get happier and happier. In about a half hour, they'd be really happy and feeling good."

   Roebling resident Bill McGrath said Dr. Hornberger had a "soothing way of assuring you that everything was going to be all right, even if it wasn't." Mr. McGrath said if a patient didn't have the $2 that covered the doctor visit and prescription, Dr. Hornberger would simply say, "Catch me next time."

   The crowd also laughed when lifelong Roebling resident Ted Mitre talked about the day when, as a young child, the doctor gave him stitches. "After he did it, he said, 'You can go to school tomorrow too!' " Mr. Mitre said.

   Roebling resident Rose Menton told the crowd about some of the doctor's personal and professional history, including that he was at one time the president of the Florence Township Chamber of Commerce, a veteran of World War I and a grandfather to 11 grandchildren at the time of his death.

   The ceremony closed with residents thanking Loretta Varga for initiating the idea of a headstone for the doctor.
   Mrs. Varga also can be reached at 499-1160 if anyone wishes to request a memorial booklet honoring Dr. Hornberger.

©Packet Online 2001

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