Honor, respect

A remarkable event occurred in Oran, Mo., recently.

One of the town's leading citizens, Max Hirschowitz, died in April. He was a leading Oran merchant, running a family business that stretched back nearly a century. He was a respected town leader. And he was a successful county official, having served on what he preferred to call the county court even after state statutes were amended to change the entity to the county commission. And Mr. Hirschowitz was a Jew.

Once a common fixture in the southern United States, the Jewish merchant has all but vanished from small-town America, making access to a synagogue or rabbi difficult.

But the people of Oran thought so much of Mr. Hirschowitz that they decided to have a memorial service for him. The Oran Ministerial Alliance organized the service, and some 300 people were on hand at Guardian Angel Catholic Church for the special commemoration of a life well-lived.

At the memorial service, Mr. Hirschowitz was remembered as not just a likable fellow, but as someone who had benefited his community and helped those in need, often behind the scene and with no fanfare.

In his memory, a mostly Christian congregation representing several denominations came to Guardian Angel Catholic Church and paid Mr. Hirschowitz the respect he had earned over a lifetime of being a good citizen and a caring individual. He has set an example for all of us. And so has Oran.