Harriet Mayner

Harriet Elizabeth Anderson was born December 19, 1931 in Atlanta, GA to Harty Randall Anderson and Mamie Helena Bentley Anderson. As a toddler, she moved with her family to Aiken, SC then settled in Harlem, New York where she and her three siblings John, Mary and Nathaniel were raised. An attentive big sister from their formative years, Harriet continued to be a supportive and nurturing influence throughout their lives. 

 

In 1956 in New York, Harriet married Harold Ben Mayner, a pharmacist, after meeting at the home of a friend. To this union was born daughter Kim and son Harold Ben Mayner, Jr. and resided with them in Roselle, NJ. Harriet delighted in the kindness and humor of her children and took pride in the caring and generous adults they became. The couple separated in 1974 but never divorced. 

 

While a student in New York public schools, Harriet cultivated a life-long love for the arts and music. As a gifted dancer, she auditioned for the National Negro Opera Company and the American Negro Opera Company. Once selected for this significant honor, she performed for both groups at Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall. She also developed into an accomplished teenage member of the Abyssinian Baptist Church choir. Her first public performance in 1949 involved being excused from a junior high class at P.S. 149 to sing at the celebrity packed funeral of the legendary dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Later, she attended Spelman College in Atlanta, GA where she became a soloist for the college choir. Upon graduation, she attended Columbia University where she earned a master's degree in library science in 1960. However, the talented songstress continued to amass a variety of impressive performances featuring jazz, show tunes, and contemporary stylings at New York venues, concerts benefiting prestigious organizations like the NAACP, the NJ Pavilion during the 1964-1965 New York 

World's Fair, the 1970 inauguration of former Governor William Cahill in Trenton, NJ, and Black History Month programs for the Urban League of Union County for more than 10 years. Additionally; there were surprise recitals for those near and dear to her for birthdays and holidays, as well as hospital patients and the Hamilton Senior Center (which she attended in later years). 

 

After a brief stint at the Elizabeth Public Library; Harriet joined the staff of Thomas Jefferson High School in 1964. Her passion for helping students was not limited to scholarly research. Young people would share their problems knowing that she would always be available for a big dose of kindness, wisdom and compassion. In June of 2000, Harriet retired after 36 years as a librarian at the former Thomas Jefferson High School and Elizabeth High School in Elizabeth, NJ. , 

 

Her remarkable dedication to service was apparent in every aspect of her life. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and served as a board member of the Institute for Arts and Humanities Education, which hosted youth programs for more than ten years; planned a jazz brunch fundraiser' at. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick; and coordinated the annual Family Arts Program that the hospital designed to engage families with entertainment, arts and crafts. As a member of Heard AME Church in Roselle, NJ for more 

than 30 years, she served in the Good Samaritans ministry and assembled items for the food pantry. 

 

No one could be in Harriet's presence for long without experiencing her wit and great sense of humor. In fact, she, kept her mind active by creating trivia games and recording jokes for A Little Book of Chuckles, a book she hoped to publish. Other noteworthy ventures include her contribution to the book Past and Promise: Lives of New jersey Women and appearance with her children in the ground-breaking documentary A Question of Color, which addresses colorism in the Black community. In 2014,Harriet joined Union Baptist Church where she enjoyed the music and preaching immensely. 

 

On December 12, 2020, Harriet Elizabeth Anderson Mayner joined God and the angels. She is survived by her loving daughter Kim Mayner, brother Dr. John W.R Anderson, sister Mary Rogers, brother Nathaniel Anderson, a host of nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.