Milan man finds happiness selling coins, preaching the gospel
Arizona Coin Collector
http://heritage.com/articles/2009/11/18/milan_news_leader/news/doc4b02fd0041425727932837.txt
Milan man finds happiness selling coins, preaching the gospel
Published: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
By Krystle Dunham, Heritage Newspapers
Six years ago, Ralph Lefler opened up a coin
shop in Milan. Since then, he couldn't be
happier.
"I look forward to opening my doors every morning
and seeing what people will bring in," he said.
(Image of 81 year old Ralph Lefler)
http://heritage.com/content/articles/2009/11/18/milan_news_leader/news/doc4b02fd00414257279328371.jpg
"It's always a thrill to look at the
customers' coins."
Lefler, 81, of London Township, owns and operates
D & R Coins at 17 West Main St. in Milan.
The store carries silver dollars, gold and silver
coins and rare collector items, and Lefler buys
coin collections and appraises coins for
insurance purposes.
"I meet so many nice people," he said. "I never
know what new coins I might encounter day to day."
Lefler said his love for coins began in the 1930s,
when he delivered newspapers in Detroit. At that
time, he became fascinated with some of the coins
his customers showed him.
Lefler began to collect Buffalo nickels, Mercury
dimes and Indian head pennies.
"The love of collecting coins got in my blood," he
said. "Every chance I had to pick up a nice
collection of coins, I would."
Lefler said eventually he stopped delivering
newspapers, but continued to collect coins.
When he joined the U.S. Army at the age of 18, he
was sent to Germany and Italy. He began to collect
German and Italian coins. He said he was
especially interested in silver coins.
After three years in the service, he came to
Milan and worked at the Willow Run Bomber Plant
for three years. Then he spent two years at
General Motors Corp. and spent his weekends at
coin shows across the state.
In 1970, Lefler finally decided to open up his
own coin shop in Ypsilanti called Lefler's
Liberty Coin Sales, Inc. His late wife, Alice,
and his daughter, Betty Ritz, worked at the shop.
Lefler said for awhile business was good, but
eventually the crime rate became so bad that he
worried about his family's safety and being
alone at the store. So in the spring of 1976,
he closed his business.
After closing, Lefler experienced some health
problems. He had two heart attacks and open
heart surgery. Lefler said his doctor said he
needed to find something to keep him busy.
So he decided owning his own business again was
just the right fit, and D & R Coins became a
reality.
Besides his coin shop, Lefler spends a great
deal of time at the Evangelical Home in
Saline. He is an ordained Baptist minister and
preaches at the retirement community.
Lefler said he was inspired to become a minister
when he came home from the service at the age of
19. There had been a fire accident on his base
that involved him to inhale quite a bit of smoke.
At the time, Lefler said he didn't know if he
would have internal damage.
"I made a vow with the Lord that if he took me
home safely I would serve him," he said.
Lefler said he had always faithfully attended
church and taught Sunday school.
Then one day he was asked to preach at Cherry
Hill Methodist Church in Plymouth because the
current preacher was not available. He ended up
enjoying it so much that he decided he wanted
to go to school to become a minister.
Lefler completed his ministry training through
Liberty Baptist College. For the past 25 years,
he has been preaching at the Evangelical Home
in Saline from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings.
"I felt I was comfortable being around the older
folks and talking to them," he said. "It just
kind of went from there."
Lefler also has a long background preaching and
ministering to prisoners.
"I figured the Lord blessed me so much that I
want others to know how good God has been to
me," he said. "God can be as good to them if
we just trust him."
Lefler said he started to regularly preach at
the Evangelical Home when his wife became ill.
She suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's
disease.
When Alice died, he realized he still wanted
to continue to preach at the facility.
"I will continue to preach until the Lord
calls for me," he said.
Staff Writer Krystle Dunham can be reached at
429-7380 or at kdu...@heritage.com .
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