--- title: SR 365. Cohen's of Alma; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr365 cite_as: SR 365, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr365 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr365.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr365/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71240 date: 2025-03-10 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-11 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/sr364.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr366.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr365.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 365 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-10 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Blake Tillery text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR365/2025 upstream_id: 1994255 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - local business recognition - Bacon County - Senate resolution - Georgia history --- # SR 365. Cohen's of Alma; recognize ## Text 25 LC 112 3292 Senate Resolution 365 By: Senator Tillery of the 19th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniver sary; and for other1 purposes.2 WHEREAS, Cohen's of Alma, a cornerstone of the Alma and Bacon C ounty community,3 celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, representing a cent ury of dedication to quality4 service and community engagement; and5 WHEREAS, the legacy of Cohen's of Alma began with Nathan Cohen, who, at the age of 13,6 immigrated to the United States from a small village on the border of Russia and Poland in7 1913, ultimately settling in Nicholls, Georgia, with his older half-brothers, Julius "Jake" and8 William Cohen; and9 WHEREAS, with the support of his brothers, Nathan overcame lang uage barriers and10 completed his education before establishing his first business venture as a traveling peddler11 with a Belgian horse named "Babe"and a wagon filled with goods needed by rural families,12 laying the foundation for what would become Cohen's of Alma; and13 S. R. 365 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3292 WHEREAS, in 1924, after years of hard work, Nathan purchased Sa ndy Mercer's general14 store on Dixon Street in Alma, restocked it with apparel, and o fficially opened Cohen's of15 Alma on April 4; and16 WHEREAS, his son, Jerald, graduated from the University of Georgia, served in the United17 States Army during the Korean War, and joined the family business in 1952 before assuming18 management in 1957, overseeing the store's continued growth and success; and19 WHEREAS, under Jerald's leadership, Cohen's expanded in 1967 with the purchase of the20 Butler Supply location next door, increasing the store size by 3,000 square feet and21 introducing the "Roundtable Shop," which specialized in name-br and apparel for work,22 hunting, and formal wear; and23 WHEREAS, upon Jerald's retirement in 1997, the late Wayne Golde n was hired as store24 manager, and through the efforts of Mark Cohen, Jerald's oldest son, and his wife, Laure, the25 store was once again expanded by an additional 2,000 square feet; and26 WHEREAS, today, Cohen's of Alma remains one of the oldest singl e-family-owned27 businesses in the State of Georgia, continuing to serve as a vi tal part of the Alma-Bacon28 County community while maintaining a legacy of integrity, servi ce, and economic29 contribution to South Georgia; and30 WHEREAS, the Cohen family has given back to the community in countless ways, ensuring31 that no local prom, homecoming, or wedding is complete without a visit to Cohen's and32 stocking top-quality products that have remained a hallmark of the business for generations.33 S. R. 365 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3292 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body34 recognize Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary, commend the Cohen family for their35 century of dedication to the Alma-Bacon County community, and e xtend best wishes for36 continued success.37 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed38 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Cohen's of Alma.39 S. R. 365 - 3 - ## 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 Senate resolution recognizes Cohen's of Alma, a family-owned Bacon County store, on its 100th anniversary and commends the Cohen family's century of service to the community. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate honoring Cohen's of Alma, a retail store in Alma, Georgia, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. It recounts the store's history, starting with founder Nathan Cohen, who immigrated from Eastern Europe in 1913 and later purchased a general store in Alma in 1924, through generations of family leadership and expansion. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally states that the Senate recognizes and commends the business and the Cohen family, and it directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Cohen's of Alma as a keepsake. ### What it does - Formally recognizes Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary as a business in Alma and Bacon County. - Commends the Cohen family for a century of service and community engagement without creating any new law or funding. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Cohen's of Alma. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names Cohen's of Alma and the Cohen family, along with the Alma and Bacon County community the store has served. It has no regulatory or financial effect on any other individuals, businesses, or government agencies. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequences; it is a symbolic honor. Its practical effect is limited to creating an official Senate record praising the store and family, which the Secretary of the Senate will send to Cohen's of Alma as a commemorative document. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount the store's history, including its founding in 1924 by Nathan Cohen and later expansions under his son Jerald and grandson Mark. - The resolved clause formally recognizes Cohen's of Alma on its 100th anniversary and commends the Cohen family for a century of community service. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Cohen's of Alma. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-10) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-10) - Sponsors: Blake Tillery - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71240 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr365.md?full=1