This Harry Lerner's Certificate of Naturalization. We know Harry entered the United States before his marriage to Mary in 1908. At the time this document was signed, Harry was 35 years old and he'd been a citizen/subject of Russia. It also tells us he was 5'6" tall, he was white with a dark complexion and had brown eyes. Harry listed his address as 384 East 10th Street where he lived with his wife Mary, (age 34), his sons Isadore, (age 9) Sidney, (age 5) and daughter Rosie, (age 2). It is dated May 11th, 1920.
You may recognize this picture from when it was posted on the home page. Harry is seated on the right with his wife Mary behind him. The other couple is Mary's sister Celia and her husband Max Glaizer. This picture was taken around 1913 when Harry would have been about 28. See if you can identify them 21 years later at the wedding of Max and Celia's daughter Tessie. They're in the group shot on Mary's page.
This picture of Harry was taken in the backyard of their Douglas Street home in 1932. The doll on the bench next to him belonged to his 9 year old daughter Gerry. Although he was only 48 when this picture was taken, he would only live about two more years. He died at age 50 of heart disease.
I've learned that Harry had two sisters: Gus or Gussie, (short for Augusta) and Sara. Gus is pictured here with Mary in front of the store on Douglas Street. Gus married Ben Fellman and had 4 children: Golde (known as "Goldie" she was Irving's 2nd wife); Sylvia; Israel, (also known as "Sonny") and Morton, whom everyone called "Morty". You can see pictures of them below. The other sister was named Sara. She married a man named Joe Jackere. Thanks to Gus Jackere-Ehrlich I now have a few pictures of Sara and
This is Harry's other son Sidney Lerner and his wife Francis. Sidney was known as Sam and he and Francis had two children: Edward H. Lerner and Harriett Lerner.
To the right is Harry's youngest daughter Gertrude, known as Gerry. She is holding Harriet, the daughter of Sid and Francis.
The picture on the left is Harry's sister Augusta Lerner-Fellman and her husband Ben and their son Morton. This picture was taken at lunch given on the occasion of Mort's Bar Mitzvah in 1943.
On the same day from left to right: Molly Pomerantz-Lerner, (Harry's Daughter In-Law), Francis, Mary Ashkenazi-Lerner, (Harry's Wife), Gerry Lerner, (Daughter of Harry), and Sam Lerner, (Harry's son).
Another group shot to mark the occasion. On the back row are: Sylvia Fellman, Francis, Sam Lerner, Gerry Lerner and Marion. In front of them are Molly Pomerantz-Lerner and Goldie Fellman. And of course the boy in front is Mort Fellman.
The picture to the right is Gus Ehrlich and Irving Lerner. Gus tells me that they were both about six years old when the photo was taken. Gus is the daughter of Harry's sister Sara Lerner-Jackere.
If I have my facts straight, Sara and Joseph Jackere, (pictured on the left), met when Joe rented a room from Sara's mother Chana Lerner. They had four children: Theodore, Gus, Isadore and Michael. Gus has also provided the only picture I have of Chana Toback-Lerner.
On the right, Chana is pictured with Miriam and Leo Toback. I'm not sure if these are the same Toback's who owned who clothing factory in Newbergh where Harry worked. What I have learned is that Chana was and was widowed at age 28 and left with her three children Harry, Sara and Augusta. This may explain why Harry's father is such a mystery. I don't even know his name or whether he came to this country.
Here is a picture of Gus Jackere and her husband Jack Ehrlich as newlyweds in 1944. And below is a recent photo taken outside her home in Jamaica, NY.
