Profile-Isaac "Ike" Diehl- "Jack of All Trades"

Role played in borough: Ike laid out the first sewer system in Collingdale,  and was known as the first police chief. He was also a member of the 1st fire company in Collingdale. He was known as a "jack of all trades" because he actively worked to make the community great and helped the community through the pandemic in 1918. His long years of service to the community showed in the improvements made within the community and in his efforts to implement many programs that benefited the community at large.

Greatest accomplishments: Supervising the installation of the first sewer system in Collingdale. Supporting and helping the community during the pandemic of 1918 when he was captain of Collingdale Fire Company No# 1.

History: Isaac Diehl's family settled in Collingdale around the early 1900s. Isaac grew to love the borough due to the warm welcome he received from the families that settled there earlier. He was trained in sanitation and had worked his way up to sanitation supervisor. His expertise in surveying and laying pipe for the streets had been gained from the various projects he participated in during his apprenticeship and eventual employment. He got into law enforcement through a friend who suggested that he utilize his talents in a different arena. In those days,  volunteer police officers did go through some training in order to know the laws but for the most part were trained "on-the-job". Ike was a natural for the position because of his outgoing personality and tough stance on crime. After his stint as a volunteer police officer, Mr. Diehl decided to volunteer as a firefighter and became a member of the Collingdale Fire Company No #1. He was eventually promoted to Captain and played an instrumental part in containing the disease that wasted so many during the pandemic in 1918.

Church-Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic church

Location: 500 Woodlawn Avenue

Ministry hours: Saturday Mass 4:30 pm vigil
Sunday Masses: 8 am, 10 am, 12 noon
Monday-Friday Mass: 8 am
Holy Day Masses:  8 am, 7 pm

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Mission Statement: To reach out to the community and bring God's message to the world.

Brief History of the church: Catholics in Collingdale and the surrounding area felt a need for a parish church in Collingdale and petitioned the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for its establishment in early February 1916. The Archdiocese accepted the petition and allowed for the establishment of the church. To celebrate, Reverend Otho C. Gromoll, who had formerly held a curate's position in the parish of the Holy Spirit officiated as the new pastor at a mass held in Collingdale's Floral Hall February 16, 1916. Groundbreaking for the new church commenced March 16, 1916 during the feast of Saint Joseph's. On Christmas Day, 1916 the new building was dedicated with a celebratory mass which also dedicated the new school. The church and school grew to the point that it was deemed necessary in 1955 to build a new church and move the school into a separate building. In the interim, the church started various community outreach programs and contributed to various causes in the community. Today the church is still involved in various outreach activities and support services.

For more information visit:
Saint Joseph's Parish

Past Business-The Original Coffee Bar

Location: 943 MacDade Boulevard

Hours of Business:  M-F 7 am - 5:30 pm
                              closed Saturday
                              Sunday 11 am - 5 pm

What they specialize in:  Specialty coffees and delicious wraps and sandwiches. They brew their own special blend. They also make great smoothies with fresh ingredients. Everything they make is organic.

Mission Statement: To provide the community with a venue to meet and relax. Owners are actively involved with the community, providing small groups and individuals a venue to promote themselves and exchange ideas. The shop sponsors local artists, letting them sell and display their works on the walls.

Founded: April 17th 2012

Founders: Toni Maxey, Jay Maxey and Gary Lytle

Closed Collingdale location....July 12, 2013

UPDATE: New Location in Morton, PA (2016
2 Yale Rd

Profile-Carson Thompson-Olympic Athlete

Role played in borough: Carson grew up in Collingdale and participated in football and baseball during his years in Collingdale in the 1920s. He was a member of the first football team of Collingdale High School and was mentioned as one of the all stars of the game. Baseball however was where he excelled and garnered recognition. It was after he started coaching basketball and baseball at Collingdale High where he also taught, that the baseball "bug" hit him. He tried out for the Penn Athletic Club and played for them for several seasons. During that time he was invited to try out for the New York Yankees. When he discovered that he would have to play ball on Sunday, he refused due to a promise he made to his dad never to play on Sundays. As a result he was barred from playing baseball in the United States which incredibly led to his being invited to play an exhibition game at the 1936 Olympics.
His accomplishments: Mr. Thompson related two experiences he had while at the Olympics which in that year were held in Berlin, Germany to Fran McCoy in 1987 for the News of Delaware County. One memorable scene that he couldn't forget was meeting Eva Baun, Hitler's mistress outside the Olympic village. She'd been filming the color commentary for German television and wanted some background information on the game. His accomplishment was winning the expedition game by pitching a no-hit game when he came into the game in the fifth inning. His other accomplishments as teacher and coach to many schools throughout the Delaware Valley stemmed from that first accomplishment and he became a legend in the eyes of many sports fans in Delaware County.

Past churches-Mariner's Bethel United Methodist Church

Location: 815 Clifton Avenue

Founded: Central Methodist Church officially changed its name to Mariner's Bethel United Methodist on Sunday, April 25 1948 with the groundbreaking of the new building seen here and the laying of the cornerstone on Sunday, November 28 1948. First official service in new building was held May 29, 1949, a few weeks after Dr. Tindall passed away. For a time, until renovations on the original building was complete, the place of worship was called the Central Memorial Chapel of  Mariner's Bethel United Methodist Church.

 Photograph courtesy of Keith Lockhart

Denomination: Methodist
A brief history: Dr. G. Paul Beck led the congregation from 1949 to 1951, and from then on the rotation of pastoral leadership changed every couple of years with two notable exceptions-one from 1975-1977 when there were two pastors, George C. deKrafft and James Ford and in the late 1980s when Reverend Alice Cook, the first woman pastor to preach at the church came on board. Mariner's wasn't involved much in the community until the late 1990s when spaghetti dinners were frequently announced on their billboard out front. Not much information has been gleaned on any other programs, with the exception of an Al-non meeting that was held on Wednesdays that helped many residents. Due to a number of factors, Mariner's decided to close their doors in 2010. Fortunately the building was reopened in 2011 and is currently occupied by the Golden Gate Assembly Church.