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 Harold Gerson, the son of Jewish parents Samuel Gerson and Gutta (Cohen) Gerson, was born in 1905 in Lithuania – in an area I believe is located in modern-day Poland. He later made his way to New Castle, Pennsylvania, where his older brother Jack Gerson operated a jewelry store. He worked for his brother for several years, and then opened his own jewelry store in Ellwood City in about 1930. In 1939 he was married to Rebecca Caplan, a Russian-born teacher at Beaver Falls High School, and together they had four children. Gerson opened a second store on #1128 Seventh Avenue (shown above) in Beaver Falls in about 1940. (Oct 2014) Full Size |
 Harold Gerson retired in about 1962 and soon moved to Hillandale, Florida. He passed away in May 1977 at the age of seventy-two. He was buried in the Tifereth Israel Cemetery in New Castle. His family may have operated the Beaver Falls store after he retired, but at some point the business was acquired by Zales (c1970). It was enlarged when Zales closed its New Castle location (formerly the Jack Gerson store) in early 1972. Zales closed the Beaver Falls store a few years later. Today, the location has been home to the China Wok restaurant since 1992. (Oct 2014) Full Size |
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Debbie C. #
My mother worked at Gersons in the late 50s, she always laughs when she talks about the ladies who would come in to have their pearls restrung, she said they were told they were sent to NYC to be repaired and restrung when in reality they didn’t go any further then upstairs where she restrung them herself!
Rebecca Pace Jones #
They had beautiful jewelry there. I think that I bought a ID bracelet for one of my friends from them. Janet LaPore, a young lady that I attended school with in Beaver Falls was employed there.
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