North Shore Towers Courier n December 2016 39 The Passage Of A Bayside Icon The passing of Leon Kraus on Nov. 4, 2016, who lost his battle to Stage IV cancer at the age of 92… Leon Kraus was born in Bayside in 1924 and lived in his parent’s apartment over the Kraus family’s retail store on Bell Boulevard, A. Kraus & Son that his parents, Albert and Minnie Kraus founded in 1914. He remained living there until he married his wife of 64 years, Corrine (Sperber) Kraus at which time he remained a Bayside resident until moving his wife and children out to Roslyn, Long Island in 1969. Leo, as he was called throughout his entire lifetime, was the youngest of 5 children having 2 older sisters, Ruth and Bertha and 2 older brothers, Joseph and Jack who all pre-deceased Leon. Leo was a graduate of the first four year graduating class of Bayside High School in 1942, served his country during World War II in the U. S. Army in the 11th Airborne Division and was stationed in France until he received his Honorable Discharge in 1945. He was also a lifelong member of the Bayside Masonic Temple. After returning from the war, Leon Kraus joined his parents working alongside them at A. Kraus & Son while at the same time attending night school at New York University in Manhattan. The store began as a general store selling everything from nuts n’ bolts to wheel barrels to snow sleds to paint to window panes of glass to even horse shoes where Leo’s father Albert continued his craft of a being a blacksmith that he learned and worked at in his native Russia, the country that he was born in and escaped from before immigrating to the United States around the turn of the 20th century. Albert Kraus was one of the founding members of the Bayside Jewish Center which originally existed above a storefront on Bell Boulevard back in the early 1920’s. As Bayside and its adjoining communities like Douglaston, Little Neck and Flushing were predominantly farmlands and Albert was a peddler traveling by his horse and buggy to service the farmers every needs, Leo’s mom Minnie was the driving force in the store waiting on the customers, dealing with the vendor’s salesmen purchasing products that were being sold in the store and operating as a successful business woman in a business man’s world. As much of this article was based on information about the Kraus family history shared by Leon’s youngest son David, he tells about his grandmother Minnie who spoke, read and wrote in 5 different languages and how she assisted many of her immigrant customers who came to this country from Europe unable to read or write in their native language (no less English.) They would bring to Minnie the letters that they would receive from family in Europe and she would read them the letter and then write the letter as dictated to her from the customer and then to be mailed back to the family in Europe. In the many years that followed after Leon joined his parent in business, A. Kraus & Son transformed and evolved into Queens’ (if not New York City’s) premier interior decorating product store for almost 100 years selling only the finest brands of paints, wallcoverings, fabrics, window treatments and carpeting to a customer base that spanned 3 and 4 generations. And as family businesses so often are blessed with “the next generation” coming into the business, Leon had the fortune of not only having his 2 sons, Michael and David becoming 3rd generation participants but he also had his wife Corrine work along his side running the decorating part of the business overseeing the massive wallcovering and fabric department that occupied a large part of the over 12,000 square foot store. As my own personal recollections of coming into A. Kraus & Son as a shopper when I had the need to decorate my own homes, I always remembered seeing Leo behind the counter engaged in conversation and talking with customers about the lives and the goings-on in their families and then helping them select the right products for that particular project that needed to be done in their home, apartment of office. Leo was not the business owner that sat in his office directing his staff but rather he worked 6 days a week right alongside each and every one of his almost 30 loyal, dedicated and long standing employees who were made to feel a part of the Kraus family and not just an employee who came to work and took home a paycheck at the end of the week. Leo was a man who LOVED what he did with such a passion that he often said, “I NEVER looked at one day in the store as work. And when customer’s used to ask him…..”Leo, when are you going to retire?“, his reply was always…..” I will retire tonight at 6:00PM when I lock the door and I will come out of retirement tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM when I unlock the door.” As David Kraus reflected on his father’s life and his memories of working WITH his father (and not FOR his father) for over 25 years, he told me of all the “Life’s Lesson’s “ that Leo taught him that Leo’s mom Minnie taught him as well, one of which was……. ”Always get to your job 15 minutes before you are supposed to start and stay 15 minutes later than when your job finishes for the day. Do NOT be a clock watcher! As Leo Kraus was a trail blazer in business in his own quiet way, I had the pleasure of having A. Kraus & Son as a long time and regular advertiser in the Queens Courier and as both Leo and David’s prime objective of advertising was to reach out to a larger customer base, slogans like “See Everything Without Going Everywhere,” “Love Thy Neighbor, Paint Thy House” and “All Paint Store Are Not Created Equal” were common ad copy of their advertising that would truly separate them from their competition. Leon Kraus will truly be missed but his lifelong history in the Bayside community and the Bell Boulevard business district will never be forgotten. And although A. Kraus & Son closed its doors and ceased doing business in April of 2005 after 91 years on the scene, my memories of it will remain vivid for years and years. Leon is survived by his wife Corrine, his sons Michael (and daughter-in-law Carol Hantverk - Kraus) and David. His four grandchildren Melanie (and husband Justin) Mitchell, Max and Eve and great granddaughter Charlotte.
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