| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 129 0236 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Resolution 506 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representative Meeks of the 178 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 7 | 7 | | Recognizing and commending Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary; and for other |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1 |
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| 9 | 9 | | purposes.2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Cohen's of Alma, a cornerstone of the Alma and Bacon County community,3 |
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| 11 | 11 | | celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, representing a century of dedication to quality4 |
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| 12 | 12 | | service and community engagement; and5 |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, the legacy of Cohen's of Alma began with Nathan Cohen, who, at the age of 13,6 |
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| 14 | 14 | | immigrated to the United States from a small village on the border of Russia and Poland in7 |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1913, ultimately settling in Nicholls, Georgia, with his older half-brothers, Julius "Jake" and8 |
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| 16 | 16 | | William Cohen; and9 |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, with the support of his brothers, Nathan overcame language barriers and10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | completed his education before establishing his first business venture as a traveling peddler11 |
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| 19 | 19 | | with a Belgian horse named "Babe"and a wagon filled with goods needed by rural families,12 |
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| 20 | 20 | | laying the foundation for what would become Cohen's of Alma; and13 |
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| 21 | 21 | | H. R. 506 |
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| 22 | 22 | | - 1 - 25 LC 129 0236 |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, in 1924, after years of hard work, Nathan purchased Sandy Mercer's general |
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| 24 | 24 | | 14 |
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| 25 | 25 | | store on Dixon Street in Alma, restocked it with apparel, and officially opened Cohen's of15 |
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| 26 | 26 | | Alma on April 4; and16 |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, his son, Jerald, graduated from the University of Georgia, served in the United17 |
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| 28 | 28 | | States Army during the Korean War, and joined the family business in 1952 before assuming18 |
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| 29 | 29 | | management in 1957, overseeing the store's continued growth and success; and19 |
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| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, under Jerald's leadership, Cohen's expanded in 1967 with the purchase of the20 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Butler Supply location next door, increasing the store size by 3,000 square feet and21 |
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| 32 | 32 | | introducing the "Roundtable Shop," which specialized in name-brand apparel for work,22 |
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| 33 | 33 | | hunting, and formal wear; and23 |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, upon Jerald's retirement in 1997, the late Wayne Golden was hired as store24 |
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| 35 | 35 | | manager, and through the efforts of Mark Cohen, Jerald's oldest son, and his wife, Laure, the25 |
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| 36 | 36 | | store was once again expanded by an additional 2,000 square feet; and26 |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, today, Cohen's of Alma remains one of the oldest single-family-owned27 |
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| 38 | 38 | | businesses in the State of Georgia, continuing to serve as a vital part of the Alma-Bacon28 |
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| 39 | 39 | | County community while maintaining a legacy of integrity, service, and economic29 |
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| 40 | 40 | | contribution to South Georgia; and30 |
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| 41 | 41 | | WHEREAS, the Cohen family has given back to the community in countless ways, ensuring31 |
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| 42 | 42 | | that no local prom, homecoming, or wedding is complete without a visit to Cohen's and32 |
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| 43 | 43 | | stocking top-quality products that have remained a hallmark of the business for generations.33 |
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| 44 | 44 | | H. R. 506 |
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| 45 | 45 | | - 2 - 25 LC 129 0236 |
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| 46 | 46 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that |
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| 47 | 47 | | 34 |
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| 48 | 48 | | the members of this body recognize Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary, commend the35 |
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| 49 | 49 | | Cohen family for their century of dedication to the Alma-Bacon County community, and36 |
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| 50 | 50 | | extend best wishes for continued success.37 |
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| 51 | 51 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized38 |
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| 52 | 52 | | and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to39 |
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| 53 | 53 | | Cohen's of Alma.40 |
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| 54 | 54 | | H. R. 506 |
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| 55 | 55 | | - 3 - |
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