Nate's Men's Clothiers, St. Albans, Burlington, Montpelier, and St. Johnsbury, Vermont

This week we continue to honor and reflect on the life of Ben Harris (1913-2014), who died at his home in St. Johnsbury on Sunday December 28. Some parts of his life, as revealed in the obituary that he created in rough draft a decade ago, have surprised many in the community -- like his skill as a sharpshooter during World War II. Others are familiar, like his abiding good humor and his love of a good joke.

Ben and his brother Nathan Harris co-founded in 1933 Nate's, Inc., which would become Vermont's largest men's clothier. Photos of the stores in their four locations have not yet been found for this column, but Charlie Dolgin, whose roots are in St. Johnsbury, provided photos of the fedora that he said he "discovered among the piles in the store basement during the 1971 Nate's renovation." 

And here is a blue wool shirt made for Nate's, offered for sale online recently with its custom tag. 

Finally, after Ben and his wife Rosalie were recognized in 2009 for their community service contributions, the Vermont State Legislature passed this resolution found in the 2010 records:

And from a March 10, 2005, Times Argus article when the Harrises won an award:

Outgoing chamber president David Redmond gave the annual Lifetime Achievement award to a retired businessman who is very active in the community. McCann introduced 92-year-old Ben Harris as the man who, with his brother, founded Nate's men's clothing store in Montpelier in 1938 during the Great Depression. The brothers went on to open another store in Burlington and one in St. Johnsbury by the same name in the 1940s and 1950s. Harris said he had always wanted to live in Burlington, but he settled in St. Johnsbury to run the store and grew attached to the area where he and his wife, Rosalie, raised their three children.

"Rose and I have had a wonderful life here," Harris said. "My dream was always to live in Burlington … (but) we had such a wonderful life here in St. Johnsbury we decided to stay and never regretted it.

(Note that the article says 1938, but the obituary says 1933.)

Ben Harris: 1913-2014

Dave and I were saddened to learn this morning of Ben Harris's death last night. We especially sympathize with the loss for Ben's family: his wife Rosalie and their children and grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

We are also deeply aware that with Ben's passing, an era of the Jewish community in northern Vermont has come to an end. Ben's boundless energy and enthusiasm in the early years of Congregation Beth El in St. Johnsbury, his partnership with the wider community during its growth in the 20th century, his eager embrace of Jewish worship, gatherings, and especially the New Year, and his warm smile -- he and Rosalie for decades were the faces of welcome to new Jewish residents and rabbis, as well as many more -- for all of these, we've admired Ben, and with dignity and tenderness he entered his final years, still giving a sweet smile to anyone who visited.

We will always miss his presence among us.

Photo courtesy of Charlie Dolgin.

Please do read more about Ben and Rosalie here.

UPDATE:

The funeral for Ben Harris will take place on Tuesday, December 30 at 11:00 am at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue.  The congregation is located at 188 North Prospect Street, Burlington.  

   The family will be sitting shiva at their home at 66 Dundee Street in St. Johnsbury on Tuesday from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm, with prayer at 7:30, and on Wednesday and Thursday from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm and 7:00 pm-9:00 pm with prayers at 7:30. Friends are welcome.