In Memory of Mr. Ed—1991-2010
Sue Bailey and Larry Rupp were the lucky ones when they bought Stagecoach Express & Co., in 1998—Mr. Ed came along as a bonus! Skip and Naomi Rains, previous owners, chose to leave Mr. Ed in the only home he had, since moving over to share the former space with Redwood Art and Carl’s Hobbies. As the story goes, Mr. Ed was found as a kitten in the gutter, taken in by the owners of Carl’s, then moved to the Redwood Plaza sometime around 1991 or 1992. Redwood Art and Stagecoach Express then shared a space between the two businesses, and Mr. Ed took a liking to Stagecoach, and moved in! He soon became known as the Counter Cat, sleeping most of the time right by the register!
Loving cats, Sue and Larry had no trouble at all adjusting to Mr. Ed and his schedule—of eat, sleep, then eat again! Customers’ soon looked for him as they came in—and noting in his later years, his scruffy look and very thin body—very anxious to make sure he was still around.
Early in 2002, a customer suggested using Mr. Ed to raise funds for other homeless and shelter animals—and the money jar became a fixture on the counter. Mr. Ed even posed for the Register’s photographer, and “Show Meow the Money” was in business! Mr. Ed has generously given to We Care, the Humane Society, and just a while back, to the Berkeley Humane Society following their fire that destroyed parts of their shelter.
Mr. Ed continued to charm customers year after year. Returning customers would walk in and be delighted that he had survived another year. He will be dearly missed—but will continue to earn money for his less fortunate furry friends—the “Show Meow the Money” jar is still on the counter at Stagecoach Express & Co.