The Harry Kraftson Clan

The Kraftsons: Harry Aaron Kraftson (born July 7, 1917 – died December 24, 1994)
married Elisabeth Jane Hallstrom (born November 20, 1915)

Elisabeth Jane Hallstrom was born in Lakewood Ohio on November 20, 1915, to Raymond Lester Hallstrom and Elsie Gertrude Breytspraak Hallstrom. She had one older brother, John Raymond Hallstrom.

Elisabeth, also known as 'Betsey' and later 'Betty', graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1934. During her time at Lower Merion, she met Harry Aaron Kraftson in fencing club. They talked for the first time while waiting in the hall for an election between them for French club president. Elisabeth won the election but Harry won a friendship which later blossomed into a 55-year marriage.

Elisabeth attended Rosemont College, a women's college at the time, and graduated in 1938 with a degree in Biology. She married Harry on April 15, 1939 at her home church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ardmore, PA.

Harry’s parents were Aaron Kraftson and Christiana Hartman Kraftson. Aaron was Jewish, and emigrated from Russia (Ukraine today) when a young man, in the early 1900’s (around 1907). He came to the US to escape the persecution of Jews that was occurring in Russia at that time (same era as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’). He was a carpenter. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard and met Christiana in Rhode Island. She was a maid in a wealthy person’s home there. They married and moved to Philadelphia, on Delancey Street, where my Dad was born. He had one younger brother, Edward Pole Kraftson, who married Beatrice Cherry, and a younger sister, Mary Alice Kraftson who married James J. (Jim) Martindale.

Aaron and Christiana became Christian Scientists (a cult which is neither Christian nor scientific). Harry was raised in that religion. He went to Lower Merion High School (about 20 mins from our house) and graduated in 1934, the same class as Elisabeth Hallstrom. He got a scholarship to attend the Towne School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He majored in Chemical Engineering. A friend, Ray Davis, invited Harry to study the Bible with him. After a few months of study, Harry put his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and became a Christian. Within one year, after sharing his new faith with his family, his parents, sister and brother all became Christians.

Harry was very close with his brother and sister. They moved to the same area in the early 1960's, and we grew up together with our Kraftson and Martindale cousins. We all attended the Delaware County Christian School together.

Elisabeth, grew up near Philadelphia and met Harry at Lower Merion High School. Her parents were Raymond and Elsie Breytspraak Hallstrom. Raymond was 100% Swedish and was born and raised in the Chicago area. He worked for Otis Elevator Company for most of his career, starting as an office boy and rising through the company to become the Controller (an executive position). He moved to various cities to work in different offices of Otis, including Ohio, New York City, Philadelphia, and Newark, NJ. After he retired from Otis, my grandparents moved into an apartment Harry and Betty built into their lovely home in Newtown Square, PA (very near to DCCS). It was wonderful having my grandparents live with us during my childhood. They loved Claudia and me so much. They ate their meals in their apartment, mostly, but would join us for dinner after church every Sunday.

Grandmother K. attended Rosemont College. After graduating in 1938, she married my Dad the next year – April 15, 1939. They lived in the Philadelphia area their whole lives.