Sandy's Written Creations
Writings by Sandra Harrison including poetry, essays, fiction, non-fiction; children's literatire.
Paul Harrison
In memory of my father Paul Harrison (1920-2013), my mother celebrates my father’s birthday each June at NEJC. Paul was born on June 14 on our country’s flag day. She made a collage last June (pictured on the left). We visit him in Valhalla (Sharon Gardens) each year. He died Sept 11, 2013 at the age of 93, was a WWII Vet and worked for the US Post Office.
He married at age 29 (8/211949) for life to Harriet Harrison (born 6/29/1931) (when she was 18) who at 86 still lives in their forever home in Yonkers, NY. Paul & Harriet had three children: Irene (3/20/1952), Sandra (4/10/1954) and Leonard (5/20/1958). Kimberly Harrison (8/15/1988) is their grandchild.
Paul’s parents Rita (Vita) Bosloff (alternative names:Boslow or Boslov) and Sam Harrison were born in Russia but they met in US where they had three children: Ray, Paul and Renee. My father was born in Manhattan, NY.
Sam Harrison who died during WWII had a brother Louie who married Sonia and they had a son named Paul. Rifka was their mother who did come to America and lived with them. Paul Harrison, my father’s first cousin was discovered by my brother who told my Dad that he wasn’t the only Paul Harrison then living in Yonkers. Cousin Paul was living in Yonkers with his wife Barbara (formerly Goldstein) and two children Mark and Leslie. Some ancestor might have had a similar first name for which both cousins were named after but who knows? The two Pauls got reacquainted and even when Paul & Barbara moved to Florida my parents would visit them in the Sunshine State. Harriet and Barbara are not just FB friends but exchange e-mails. Barbara likes to send my mother jokes and interestingly my father used to collect them but stored them in a shirt pocket.
Rita Harrison was one of 8; most were living (7) in the US. Sam and Rita came from different areas of the then Russian Empire before WWI and were married in 1917 in Manhattan. Sam might have come from a village near Kiev but Rita might have come from an area near Moscow or Minsk but this is not backed up by facts. We have no clear explanation for the Harrison surname. One census had Rita’s village listed but I could not read. Could not find their records in Castle Gardens or Ellis Island Data base. Rita’s parents did come to US. Rita’s sisters Pauline, Helen and Rose; brothers Saul, Sam, Ruby and Zelig were living in US. As far as I know, our family had no contact with sister still in Russia.
Ray married Al Zwerling and had two sons, Stanley and Sheldon. Renee, the youngest, married another Paul Krasko and had two children Robert (Bobbie) and Lynn.
Harriet Harrison had one brother Joseph who married Addie. They had two children, Ira and Debra (Debbie). Samuel (Sam) Schild, Harriet’s father had three wives. Ida born in Poland (formerly Cohen, Coco or Kulka), Harriet’s mother (married in 1920) but died when Harriet was 16. Sam’s second wife had an older son but he was living in Japan as a translator. Molly was my Sam’s last wife who outlived him. She had no children and had been married before Sam. Molly outlived Sam by many years and lived in their apartment building next to Dakota in NYC. Molly was born in Russia and when we noticed a letter written by her we noticed that the “h” in Russian looked like an “h.” Could the Harrison surname have been Garrison? But, after research, I deduced that this was not any better as a reason since Garrison is not a Russian name either.
Samuel Schild (1899-1971) had 2 brothers Herman (b1891), and Rueben (b 1897). Abraham Schild their father was born in 1856 and immigrated from Austria in 1887. His wife Eva was born in 1867 in Austria. She emigrated from Austria but my notes are not clear (1882/1884). By 1920 she was widowed and remarried.
——————————————————————————————-
This info is from my research and from what Harriet Harrison could remember. Paul refused to talk to me about his history but did like to listen to the tape I made in interviewing her for a Sociology paper. I interviewed Sam Schild and Molly but not sure where the paper or the tapes went. My niece used the tapes for her school project. My DNA is being tested but I have yet to get the results.
Comments:
My mother sent in comment but it did not get listed so I copied here: Harriet Harrison quote “Just in case you think your Dad’s childhood was all grime…… it wasn’t… He and his sister Ray (18 months older) spent a lot of time together with friends… They would cross the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey and hike. I think one time they were actually asked by some authorities who they were but nothing came of it………. Parents of one of the “hikers” expressed worry about their adventures but Paul’s father answered — “Don’t worry – Ray has a map””
Sandy's Written Creations 
Just in case you think your Dad’s childhood was all grime…… it wasn’t…
He and his sister Ray (18 months older) spent a lot of time together with friends… They would cross the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey and hike. I think one time they were actually asked by some authorities who they were but nothing came of it………. Parents of one of the “hikers” expressed worry about their adventures but Paul’s father answered — “Don’t worry – Ray has a map”
LikeLike
Hey, Mom this is my blog entry, and I never said anything about Dad’s life being “grim?”
LikeLike
Abraham and Catherine Harriot Leonard lived in Yonkers during the War of 1812. Abraham was stationed at Brooklyn Heights. I suspect that when on leave, Abraham may have “hitched a ride” on a US Patrol boat that patrolled the Hudson. After the War Abraham purchased several acres of Israel Harriot’s White Plains farm per an 1822 land sale contract. Abraham had a saddlery shop in Tarrytown until his death in 1828 and I suspect that when in Yonkers he took a boat to work in the Tarrytown saddlery shop.
LikeLike
Not sure why you added this to Paul Harrison post. The mention of the Harriot and Leonard Buriel plot was on the post “Buried in White Plains.”
Sandra Harrison
LikeLike
While having read the posting about your dad, I thought about your mom living in Yonkers that was mentioned in one of your earlier postings.
I thought that it might be of interest to uncover details about the Abraham and Catherine Leonard farm (in Yonkers) during the War of 1812 (1812-1815) – I’ll look into that.
Indications are that other Harriot relatives lived in Yonkers to include Israel Harriot’s grandson also named Israel Harriot as well as the grandson’s parents.
The grandson of Israel of White Plains (who died 1836) was married in Yonkers Presbyterian Church in 1838, 2 years after his grandfather’s death. – That was a lead that I researched sometime last year when I learned that there was a 2nd Israel Harriot (1815-1902).
The grandson, Israel Harriot (died 1902) is buried in the Old Dutch Churchyard, my nephew told me after he visited the church in 2023.
I’ll have to research ISRAEL HARRIOT’S (died 1902) genealogy further however I have found that the Leonard family has a significant # of relatives since 1750s that are of prominent Westchester families and during my research very interesting historical details are revealed.
Richard Jackson
PO Box 1898
Lynnwood, WA 98046-1898
(425) 361-2922
LikeLike
Hey. I bet you don’t remember me but I lived next door on Mountaindale Road up until the summer of 1970. Your brother Lenny gave us a paperweight rock that he painted on as a going away gift and my mom has it for many years.
I was thinking about Yonkers because I found out Steven Tyler of Aerosmith was out neighbor! He lived on Pembrooke.
Anyway, my name is Ralph Sassano and I was four years old in 1970 but I do remember you were my neighbor on Mountaindale. I remember Finast, the Jempty family and that my dad drove a Ford Galaxie back in Yonkers. My brother Frank (born 1964) lives In Orlando and I live in Fishkill, NY. I have been a teacher for 25 years.
Say hello to Lenny. Ask him if he remembers
LikeLike
My mother still lives in the house on Mountaindale and is 89. I remember the Sassano’s cause we had few neighbors that moved. My brother lives in Delaware. His daughter is now a music teacher upstate in NY. She works for Monroe-Woodbury. I have been retired 11 years and I do not envy the teacher’s position in the age of Covid. Interesting that you became a teacher. I will relay your comments to him. Your old house is now up for sale. My mother told me there were cars there and they had been fixing up yard. You can look it up but only the outside is visible. I posted pictures of the neighborhood on Roosevelt Reunion 1972 FB page and my brother is on FB. He has a lot of friends. You can send him a message.
LikeLike
I appreciate you sending me Lenny’s email. I will certainly send him a message when things slow down at school. Although I was not quite 5 when we moved I do remember him as being a real nice guy.
I do not do social media, but my brother Frank does. We sometimes get nostalgic over the old days in Yonkers. So many little things I can remember. I recall the sounds of Finast. The coffee grinders mixing and the metal conveyor belts whizzing around. I can also remember the song Cherish by the Association being played a lot. That and “Ride My See Saw” by the Moody Blues. “No Time” by the Guess Who is another song I’m sure I heard first in Yonkers. Any chance that came from your turntable?
Thanks for your prompt response and I’m sorry for my long overdue response.
LikeLike
My brother finally responded to what I sent him. He wanted your e-mail. His- yankees1958@gmail.com
LikeLike