Name: Louis Gladstein d. 12/02/1943 age 63
Family: Wife Lilly, children: Melvin, Irvin, Nathan, Elma and Ann.
Gladstein came from Kiev, Ukraine. Before he married, he had a store in Tarboro, but after marrying Lilly, he came to Durham to work for his brother. He had two brothers, Moses and Sam. He later opened his own store.
A heavy man, he was called "big Louis." Grace Gladstein remembers him as a jolly man who liked to joke around. He would not be denied when he wanted to make a sale. When a man once walked into his store, Louie told him he needed some shoes. When the man resisted, Louie threw the man's shoes into the street. "Now you do," Louie told him, and the man bought shoes.
Jewish historian Leonard Rogoff said Gladstein rose every morning to put on tefillin. He loved to chant prayerbook melodies and his chief pleasure was to hear a chazzan, or cantor, with a fine voice.