and study, perhaps in the field of journalism. His father died in 1920, so Adolph entered the business as a partner with his sister Bertha. At that time, the store carried a large stock of yardage, shoes, some ready-to-wear and most other items found in a general merchandise store. There was also a full line of groceries. The partnership continued until 1937 when Bertha with Clara, who had spent the previous twelve years in New York, opened a women's wear in Columbus. This business was disposed of in 1953 because of Bertha's ill health. She died in 1957. (The mother had died in 1950). Adolph carried on the business alone from 1937 until 1962.

He was intensely loyal to the community. In a way he was a dreamer and planner for the good things that have come to this community, but he was also a leader, without people realizing that they were being led. He was tireless in working hours, without pay, to plan home talent plays and pageants. In the Commercial Club he helped plan many a program commemorating an event or to honor some person for an achievement. He helped plan the movement to organize the Battle Creek Co-op Creamery, revive the County Extension Service and maintain the office in Battle Creek, bring the County Agricultural Stabilization Office and keep it in Battle Creek. He helped with selling "Battle Creek" to the Elkhorn Rural Public Power District when it was organized, helped organize the Battle Creek Calf Show, the Battle Creek Recreation Hall and Free Movies on the site now occupied by the ASC Office. He helped organize the Battle Creek Co-op Credit Association in the dark days of the depression in the thirties and then later the Battle Creek State Bank when the depression was over. He served faithfully on the Public School Board for many years and in an emergency could be called upon to serve as a teacher when a vacancy occurred.

Adolph had a keen sense of humor. One story coming to mind as these lines are written is when Charlie Altschuler, an unregenerated descendant of Moses, was with Adolph as he was closing the store one evening just before Christmas. Adolph had some Christmas trees for sale out in front of the store and his last chore was to put these trees in between the Koester building and the Baker Hardware building. Charlie said, "Why do you do that?" "Oh, so they won't be so handy to be carried away." To which Charlie replied, "They are safe anywhere, a Christian wouldn't steal one and a Jew wouldn't have one."

Another time as Hugo Hahn was painting a sign on the bulletin board which stood between the Koester and Baker buildings, Adolph drew Mr. Hahn's attention to a misspelled word but Hugo was not convinced even though Adolph proved it to be wrong in his dictionary and he would not correct it. He said he was going home to look it up in his own dictionary!

Adolph befriended many a poor boy and helped him on the way to a better life than might have been open to him.

He found it necessary to retire in 1962 and moved with his sister Clara to Reading, Mass. to be near his sister Minnie and

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