John E. Lurk, 67, Dies; Co-Founder Novelist Edna Ferber Dies at Age 82;
of Wrigley's, Active as Jewish Leader She Was Chronicler of American Life
JOHN E. LURIE
John E Lurie, co-founder and
former president of the Wrigley
Supermarkets chain, died April 11
at age 67. Born in Detroit, he was
retired since 1961.
Mr. Lurie, 21128 Rutland, South-
field, was a member of Cong. Adas
Shalom, Hannah Schloss Old
Timers and Pisgah Lodge of Bnai
Brith; past chairman of the Allied
Jewish Campaign; and affiliated
with the Jewish Theological Sem-
inary, Brandeis University and
.Friends of Yeshiva University. He
had been honored by the latter, as
well as Maryglade Catholic Col-
lege. He also had been sponsor of
the annual Good Fellow Banquet.
His survivors are his wife, Edith;
a daughter, Mrs. Walter (Marilyn)
Wolpin; and three grandchildren.
Nathan It Epstein; Founded Oil Firm
Nathan R. Epstein, co-founder
and vice president of the former
Keystone Oil Refining Co., died
in Atlantic City April 13. Mr.
Epstein, an active member of De-
troit Jewish organizations, was 80.
In 1956, Keystone was sold to
Aurora Oil Co., which three' years
later was itself sold to -Marathon
Oil Co.
Born in Russia, Mr. Epstein came
to this country as a young man
and resided in Philadelphia before
coming to Detroit 37 years ago.
He made his residence both here
and in Atlantic. City in recent
years.
Mr. Epstein was a founder
and past president of Adas Shal-
om Synagogue; a founder of the
Businessmen's Group, City of
Hope and a board member of
the United Hebrew Schools and
of the United Jewish Appeal.
On the national board of City
of Hope, Mr. Epstein was hon-
ored by the organization on his
75th birthday.
Survivors are his wife, Yetta;
two sons, Jack and Eugene; two
daughters, Mrs. Elaine Weiss of
NATHAN R. EPSTEIN
Miami and Mrs. Sidney (Selma)
Blum; two brothers, Edward and
Louis, both of Philadelphia; two
sisters, Mrs. Lena Rogove of
Philadelphia a n d Mrs. Rose
Snyder of Miami Beach; eight
grandchildren and three great-
grandchildren.
Interment Detroit.
Esther Gitlin, Navy Honoree
Founder of Maimonides Unit
Esther V. Gitlin, a founder, char-
ter member and past president of
the Maimonides Medical Society
Women's Auxiliary and recipient
of many U.S. Navy citations for
her volunteer work, died Tuesday
at age 70.
Mrs. Gitlin, wife of Dr. Charles
Gitlin, was a vice president and
founder of the Women's Council,
U.S. Navy League. She served in
the Navy during World War - I, and
in the Second World War was made ,
an honorary commander.
One day, in 1941, when she re-
ported to her volunteer post at the
Navy recruiting center in the
downtown post office, Mrs. Gitlin
found lines of young men waiting
to be processed for duty. Rather
than lose their place in line, the
ESTHER GITLIN
boys went without eating. Mrs.
Gitlin then and there set up a that Ford would live up to his
coffee and doughnuts canteen, later apology.
which was expanded and main-
A trained social worker, Mrs.
tained for the duration of the war.
Some 1,000 to 1,500 boys a week Gitlin was employed both before
were fed at that canteen.
and after her marriage by the
Every year, until her death, city of Detroit.
Mrs. Gitlin sponsored a Christ-
She was a founder of the Sinai
mas party for servicemen in all
branches of the armed forces. Hospital Association, working ac-
The 26-year tradition earned for tively for the establishment of the
her a special citation from the hospital. With Maimonides, a
philanthropic and service organi-
Navy.
zation of doctors' wives, Mrs. Git-
During World War II, she was lin instituted scholarships a n d
responsible for the care of sailors,
other philanthropies assisting
their wives and families, making Israel.
She and her husband were
sure that they had jobs, housing active in the Zionist Organization
and other essentials.
of Detroit and worked for the Bal-
Mrs. Gitlin was a close friend four Concerts. They also belonged
of the late Henry Ford Sr., who to Cong. Bpai David.
helped her place many disabled
Born in London, Ont., Mrs.
veterans in factory jobs. Through
her, thousands of veterans were Gitlin lived in Detroit since her
placed. She continued to be Ford's childhood.
friend during World War II, when
Surviving besides her husband,
his anti-Semitic statements had who resides at 2424 Oakman, is a
4)een making enemies among the nephew, Raymond Steinberg, and
Jews. Mrs. Gitlin firmly believed one great-nephew,
NEW YORK — Edna Ferber, a
Pulitzer Prize-winning American
novelist who vvas proud of her
Jewish heritage and often ex-
pressed that pride, died Tuesday at
age 82.
Miss Ferber gained fame
through her novels about life in
the United States. "So Big," the
story of a woman on a truck farm
outside Chicago, sold 300,000 copies
upon publication in 1924. The novel
was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
Leading characters in her works
were men and women of the lower-
middle and middle class because,
she said, they interested her more
than any other American stratum.
Her novels, written in an easy-
to-read style, went into many
editions. Her plays, on which
she collaborated, enjoyed long
runs and frequent revivals, and
movies based on her books were
successful.
Miss Ferber was born in Kala-
mazoo on Aug. 15, 1885, the daugh-
ter of a moderately successful
Hungarian-born Jewish business-
man and his Milwaukee-born wife.
At 17, she went to work on the
Appleton (Wis.) Daily Crescent,
and later the Milwaukee Journal,
where she met the men and women
she characterized in her books.
Miss Ferber moved to New
York in 1911, where she began
her writing career.
In 1926 she published "Show
Boat," a novel that was later made
into a stage musical with several
revivals and three motion pictures.
Later books include "Cimarron,"
and "Giant," which infuriated the
citizens of Texas with the com-
ment ". . . Biggest ranch. Biggest
steer. Biggest houses. Biggest hat.
Biggest state. A mania for big-
ness. What littleness did it hide?"
Miss Ferber collaborated with
George S. Kaufman on the plays
"Dinner at Eight," "The Royal
Family" and "S t a g e Door."
Critics praised the plays.
After reaching the pinnacle of
her fame in the 1930's and 40's,
she wrote: "The entire output of
my particular job depends on me.
By that I mean that when I put
the cover on my typewriter, the
works are closed. The office equip-
ment consists of one flat table, a
sheaf of yellow paper and one of
white. All the wheels, belts, wires,
bolts, files, tools the whole manu-
facturing process—has got to be
contained in the space between
my chin and my topmost hairpin.
"And my one horror is that some
morning I'll wake up and find that
space vacant and the works closed
down, with a metal sign over the
front door reading: Tor rent, fine,
large, empty head; inquire within.'
Still, even if that should happen, I
would probably turn over and say,
`Well, what a grand time I have
had.' "
Miss Ferber wrote prodigiously
and carefully, producing over 1,000
words a day, 350 days per year.
She enjoyed fan mail, and loved
to spend evenings in the society
that centered around New York's
witty and penetrating observers—
Alexander Woollcott, Harold Ross
and the Algonquin Hotel round-
table crowd.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
8—Friday, April 19, 1968
V.I.P.?
&mac!
SEE OR CALL
VIC DOUCETTE
AT
D Q
Crimman
Caditt,
1350 N. Woodward Birmingham
MI 4-1930
Res. 357-0326
We express our profound sorrow on the
passing of our beloved friend and associate
JOHN E. LURIE
whose dedicated services will be greatly missed,
but will remain an inspiration for us all.
Our heartfelt sympathies are extended
to the family.
Yeshivah University,
Dr. Samuel Belkin, President
Max E. Etra, Chair. Board of Trustees
Detroit Friends of Yeshiva University
Abraham Borman, Chairman
Edward C. Levy, Co-Chairman
David Goldberg, Treasurer
Daniel A. Laven, Secretary
—
THE DETROIT BUSINESSMEN'S GROUP
OF THE
CITY of .HOPE
MOURN THE PASSING
OF THEIR FOUNDER AND PAST PRESIDENT
Nathan R. Epstein
Honorary Director, National Board
CITY OF HOPE