--- title: HR 506. Cohen's of Alma; 100th anniversary; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr506 cite_as: HR 506, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr506 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr506.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr506/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71175 date: 2025-03-04 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr505.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr507.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr506.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 506 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-04 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Steven Meeks text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR506/2025 upstream_id: 1991495 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - local business recognition - Bacon County - Alma Georgia - House resolution - small business history --- # HR 506. Cohen's of Alma; 100th anniversary; recognize ## Text House Resolution 506 By: Representative Meeks of the 178th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Cohen's of Alma, a cornerstone of the Alma and Bacon County community, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, representing a century of dedication to quality service and community engagement; and WHEREAS, the legacy of Cohen's of Alma began with Nathan Cohen, who, at the age of 13, immigrated to the United States from a small village on the border of Russia and Poland in 1913, ultimately settling in Nicholls, Georgia, with his older half-brothers, Julius "Jake" and William Cohen; and WHEREAS, with the support of his brothers, Nathan overcame language barriers and completed his education before establishing his first business venture as a traveling peddler with a Belgian horse named "Babe"and a wagon filled with goods needed by rural families, laying the foundation for what would become Cohen's of Alma; and WHEREAS, in 1924, after years of hard work, Nathan purchased Sandy Mercer's general store on Dixon Street in Alma, restocked it with apparel, and officially opened Cohen's of Alma on April 4; and WHEREAS, his son, Jerald, graduated from the University of Georgia, served in the United States Army during the Korean War, and joined the family business in 1952 before assuming management in 1957, overseeing the store's continued growth and success; and WHEREAS, under Jerald's leadership, Cohen's expanded in 1967 with the purchase of the Butler Supply location next door, increasing the store size by 3,000 square feet and introducing the "Roundtable Shop," which specialized in name-brand apparel for work, hunting, and formal wear; and WHEREAS, upon Jerald's retirement in 1997, the late Wayne Golden was hired as store manager, and through the efforts of Mark Cohen, Jerald's oldest son, and his wife, Laure, the store was once again expanded by an additional 2,000 square feet; and WHEREAS, today, Cohen's of Alma remains one of the oldest single-family-owned businesses in the State of Georgia, continuing to serve as a vital part of the Alma-Bacon County community while maintaining a legacy of integrity, service, and economic contribution to South Georgia; and WHEREAS, the Cohen family has given back to the community in countless ways, ensuring that no local prom, homecoming, or wedding is complete without a visit to Cohen's and stocking top-quality products that have remained a hallmark of the business for generations. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary, commend the Cohen family for their century of dedication to the Alma-Bacon County community, and extend best wishes for continued success. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Cohen's of Alma. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors Cohen's of Alma, a family owned Bacon County store, on its 100th anniversary and thanks the Cohen family for a century of community service. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes Cohen's of Alma, a retail store in Alma, Georgia, on the 100th anniversary of its founding. It recounts the store's history, starting with founder Nathan Cohen, who immigrated from Eastern Europe as a teenager in 1913 and eventually purchased a general store in Alma in 1924, officially opening Cohen's of Alma on April 4 of that year. The resolution traces the store through multiple generations of the Cohen family, including expansions in 1967 and after 1997, and notes that it remains one of the oldest single-family-owned businesses in Georgia. It does not change any Georgia law; it formally commends the Cohen family and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to the store. ### What it does - Formally recognizes Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary as a business in Alma, Georgia. - Commends the Cohen family for a century of service and economic contribution to the Alma-Bacon County community. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Cohen's of Alma. - Extends the House's best wishes for the store's continued success. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the Cohen family and their store, Cohen's of Alma, along with the Alma-Bacon County community that the business has served for a century. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians generally; its significance is symbolic, giving official recognition from the Georgia House of Representatives to a long-running local family business and its role in the community. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount the store's founding by Nathan Cohen in 1924 after he purchased a general store on Dixon Street in Alma. - The resolution notes leadership transitions through Jerald Cohen and later Mark Cohen, including a 1967 expansion adding 3,000 square feet. - The resolved clause formally recognizes the 100th anniversary and commends the Cohen family for their community contributions. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy for distribution to Cohen's of Alma. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-04) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-04) - Sponsors: Steven Meeks - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71175 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr506.md?full=1