 Following her studies, Emma worked at the Lee Welch bookstore as a clerk.By 1902 Emma had accumulated enough savings to buy the shares of John Ries of the Lee and Ries bookstore, and owned the entire operation in another two years.Selling the store for a profit, she moved to Kirksville, Missouri, where she bought and turned around a failing bookstore, going on to buy and sell other businesses in Kirksville and surrounding towns.