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Biography
Landsman Albert Socol
by his
daughter-in-law Elaine Socol
My
father-in-law, Albert Socol (Alter Sokol) who will be ninety-eight years
old this month, was born in Zambrow in 1909. In 1928, at the age of
nineteen, he sailed for Canada, arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia at Pier
21, before boarding a train to Toronto where his uncle Ziskind Socol,
who had already changed the spelling of his surname, was waiting for him.
Uncle Ziskind was also from Zambrow and he had one daughter who is still
living in Toronto; another daughter passed away several years ago in
California.) Albert's mother, father and siblings were left behind in
Europe. Approximately one year later Albert sent for his girlfriend, Rose
(Rokcha) Mejzner, also from Zambrow, and soon welcomed his bride-to-be in
Toronto. In spite of Albert's attempts to get his family out of Poland,
except for one brother who found his way to Israel, they all lost their
lives in the Shoah. His brother who immigrated to Israel still has
children and great grandchildren living there.
Rose's only sister, along with her husband and two children, lost their
lives as well. Rose's mother Leah Mejzner somehow managed to get to
Toronto just before World War II began. She passed away in Toronto.
Albert and Rose had two sons in Toronto. Both are married, each has two
children and two grandchildren. These are Albert's four great
grandchildren. My husband Harvey Socol and I live in Fullerton,
California. Harvey's brother, Lionel (Leibel) and his wife live in both
Los Angeles and Cincinnati. Albert's wife, Rose, passed away in Los
Angeles in 1979 (they moved from Toronto to Los Angeles in 1961.) Albert
remarried, but lost his second wife in 2005.
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