Across the Fence Post Newsletter of the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs 2023 July—August—September 2023 Volume 45, Issue 3 www.wfscstamps.org Welcome to Summer! While many collectors put the hobby on hold during this time, it is always nice to pull the collection out a few times during the warm summer as a refreshing change of pace. First, though, I would like to look back at Wiscopex 2023 held at the Retlaw in Fond du Lac. Take a minute to read the review found in this issue. Personally, I thought that it was a very productive convention. We had an engaging board meeting as well as a very enjoyable banquet (with a special shoutout to Cheryl Ganz for an excellent presentation). I had a good group of engaged attendees at my presentation with a special thank you to Jim Stollenwerk for his help in getting my PowerPoint slides up and running. Overall, a special Thank You! for all of those who helped pull the convention together. Inside This Issue From the Editor 2 Federation News 3 Two Closed Albums 4 Story Continuations 5 Wiscopex 2023 6-8 Hall of Fame Award 9 Connecting with Clubs 10 Collector Autobiography 11 Women on U.S. Stamps 12 Colorful Crossword Puzzle 13 Notes & Notices 14 Show Calendar 15 Milcopex Information 16 April-May-June 2023 Double Entendre Puzzle Answers 1. C, X 2. A, W 3. G, T 4. H, V 5. L, Y 6. M, P 7. D, U 8. K, S 9. B, O 10. I, Z 11. J, Q 12. E, N 13. F, R Starting this quarter, the answer key will always appear on a later page of the same issue. NEW WFSC CLUB! The Federation welcomes the brand new Coulee Region Stamp Club. Its president, Mark Goodman, says the organization meets on the first Saturday of each month, 10 a.m., at the Roncalli Newman Center, 1732 Main St., La Crosse. According to WFSC Publicity & Public Relations Committee member Karen Weigt, the old La Crosse Stamp Club had about 30 members in 1976, hosted Wiscopex in 1980 and disbanded in 1989. The Coulee Region Stamp Club has been added to WFSC Vice President Bill Lothary’s Southwest Region. Coulees, by the way, are narrow valleys with high, steep walls, like this terrain east of La Crosse: President’s Message By Gregg Greenwald You’ll also note that the Federation has a new member club! A warm welcome to the Coulee Region Stamp Club. It is refreshing to see a new club come together and I anticipate that the club will flourish in the future. Keep cool this summer and don’t forget to take some time for philately!
2 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Across the Fence Post is the official publication of the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The WFSC is a life member of the American Philatelic Society (since 1953), and a chapter member of the American Topical Association. For more information about the WFSC, please visit the website, www.wfscstamps.org . ATFP is currently published four times a year: January, April, July and October. News of Wisconsin collectors, club news and other gratis original features are welcomed. The editor accepts submissions in any format, but prefers email if possible. He reserves the right to make picky changes to submitted copy. Material appearing in ATFP not carrying an individual copyright notice may be reproduced only by notfor-profit organizations, provided the author(s) and ATFP receive credit or attribution. All materials carrying an individual copyright notice are the sole property of the author(s). Unless explicitly stated by an officer in conjunction with official WFSC business, opinions expressed by the editor or individual authors are not necessarily endorsed by the WFSC. Submission deadlines for editorial and advertising materials are the first of the month preceding the month of publication. (September 1 for the upcoming Oct-Nov-Dec issue.) Editorial matter should be sent to: Joe Kowalski, ATFP Editor, Send advertising material to Brian Liedtke, Advertising Manager, ATFP, 4625 South Scot Dr., New Berlin, WI 53131, 414-731-9794, [email protected] . For a complete list of advertising rates and policies (display, classified, and listings), request a copy from the advertising manager. WFSC OFFICERS PRESIDENT Gregg Greenwald 2401 Bluebird Ct. Marshfield, WI 54449 [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT Brian Liedtke 4625 South Scot Dr. New Berlin, WI 53131 [email protected] SECRETARY Clarence Davis W4022 Linden Dr. Malone, WI 53049 [email protected] TREASURER David Rees P.O. Box 401 Bloomington, IL 61702 [email protected] VP YOUTH DIVISION MaryAnn Bowman P.O. Box 1451 Waukesha, WI 53187 [email protected] EAST-CENTRAL REGION VP Bill Manka [email protected] Fond du Lac Stamp Club Kettle Moraine Coin & Stamp Club Manitowoc Philatelic Society Sheboygan Stamp Club SOUTHEAST REGION VP Anna Trischan [email protected] American Topical Association No. 5 Milwaukee Philatelic Society Waukesha County Philatelic Society Wauwatosa Philatelic Society NORTHEAST REGION VP Ray D. Perry [email protected] Bay de Noc Stamp & Coin Club Green Bay Philatelic Society Northwoods Philatelic Society Oshkosh Philatelic Society Wisconsin Postal History Society CENTRAL REGION VP Chuck Rebek [email protected] Central Wisconsin Stamp Club Chippewa Valley Stamp Club Coulee Region Stamp Club Lakeland Stamp & Coin Club Wisconsin Valley Philatelic Society SOUTHWEST REGION VP Bill Lothary [email protected] Badger Stamp Club Baraboo Stamp Club Coulee Region Stamp Club Janesville Stamp Club Monroe Stamp & Postcard Club Rockford Stamp Club Tri-State Stamp Club Clip & Save The U.S. Postal Service has announced its proposed, i.e., almost certain, rate changes effective July 9: • One-ounce First-Class letter, 66¢, up from 63¢ • First-Class letter, extra ounce, remains at 24¢ • Domestic postcards: 48¢, up from 44¢ • One-ounce International cards and letters, $1.45, up from $1.40 Will USPS now feel the need to issue a new design for these rate hikes? How about: From the Editor By Joe Kowalski T hanks to all who helped me put together my first Fence Post. The Federation bought software with which I was comfortable in laying out the issue in a familiar format. Longtime editor Karen Weigt, of course, had many helpful tips. My club president Clarence Davis proofread the issue. Advertising manager Brian Liedtke kept me up to date on advertising placement. Ann Hamon came through with a “Magpie” article when her husband Peter was suddenly otherwise occupied. One modest goal I have for upcoming issues is to increase the font size a bit for all of us “over40ers.” Please keep your suggestions and other contributions coming! U S A F o r e v e r
3 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Annual Business Meeting May 6, 2023 at 91st WFSC Convention, Fond du Lac. Highlights of Secretary Clarence Davis’ Report After the call to order, an invocation and the club roll call, officers gave their reports: President Gregg Greenwald “fulfilled duties and gave advice as asked.” Vice President Brian Liedtke thanked newsletter, Wiscopex, show calendar and eBlast volunteers. He also conducted a round table on stamp shows within the Federation’s area. Secretary Davis developed agendas, maintained minutes and handled correspondence as requested. Treasurer David Rees’ emailed report showed a total membership of 641, a nearly 10% increase, thanks in large part to the new Rockford Stamp Club, offsetting the loss of the German Philatelic Society. On May 3, the checkbook balance stood at $7863.19. Classified Ad Benefit Any WFSC member may submit two free classified ads per calendar year; $5 each for additional listings. Your description may be up to 40 words, not including the name of your home club (required) at the end of the ad. Text only, please. Make your check payable to WFSC and mail it to Brian Liedtke at 4625 South Scot Drive, New Berlin, WI 53131. Deadline for the next issue: September 1. Questions? 414-731-9794 or [email protected] Vice Presidents’ Reports MaryAnn Bowman, Youth Div. Due to the pandemic, interaction with youngsters and other beginners has been “limited and virtually non-existent.” She continues to offer assistance and resources, such as postage stamps and basic supplies. There was a youth area at Wiscopex 2022 and she writes for and about them in American Topical Association and American First Day Cover Society journals. Northeast Region, Ray Perry He visited every region club. The Bay du Noc club might plan an Escanaba show in August. East Central Region, Bill Manka He also visited all his clubs. Fond du Lac held its anniversary dinner in March and held Pick & Poke sessions and other activities. Sheboygan has member auctions. Kettle Moraine Coin & Stamp Club now meets at the West Bend Public Library. Southeast Region, Anna Trischan Clubs are doing well and preparing for shows. (continued on page 5) Federation News Please get your articles, columns, ads and other contributions to the editor by September 1st.
4 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Two Closed Albums Ken Grant By Karen Weigt Badger Stamp Club Dr. Kenneth B. Grant (1948- 2023), of Baraboo, Wis. passed away on March 31, 2023. He was born in Chicago and lived in Illinois until leaving to earn his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He taught for 31 years at the UW Baraboo-Sauk County and retired as a full professor of English. He held many prestigious academic positions within the UW system, including a stint as dean of the UW Baraboo-Sauk County campus. He was furthermore very active in several Baraboo area community organizations. Ken’s philatelic resume is equally impressive. He founded the Baraboo Area Stamp Club in 1979 and was the lifeline of the organization for the next 40-some years. He was inducted to the Wisconsin Philatelic Hall of Fame in 2014. He was active in the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs having served several years as secretary and as editor of Across the Fence Post, the WFSC’s newsletter. He held other WFSC positions and committee appointments and became a certified WFSC judge in 2015. Ken served for many years as an officer of the Wisconsin Postal History Society and editor of Badger Postal History. He was a prolific writer for BPH and also for the national Postal History Society journal. (continued on next page) Jim Byrne By Carol and Milt Wirth, Northwoods Philatelic Society James (Jim) Byrne (1940-2023), passed away at his home on April 1, 2023. Jim was a member of many stamp groups, including the Northwoods Philatelic Society, Green Bay Philatelic Society, Wisconsin Postal History Society, American Philatelic Society, American Topical Association (ATA), Journalist, Authors, Poets on Stamps (JAPOS), which is a subgroup of ATA. An active Boy Scout leader, Jim was interested in Boy Scouts as a topical subject, but he researched any number of other areas as well. He shared his expertise with others through the many articles that he wrote for Across the Fence Post, the newsletter of the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs (WFSC); the Badger Postal History, a publication of Wisconsin Postal History Society; and the JAPOS newsletter. He was an avid exhibitor with exhibits at Wiscopex, the WFSC Website, and in the one-page exhibits section of the ATA site. He was interested in both deltiology and philately and looked for ways to combine them in his exhibits. However, more than a collector and exhibitor, Jim was an educator who spent 32 years at St. Charles High School. He spent much of his life in the classroom passing on his knowledge to his students, but he was later moved to the library to work as a research specialist helping students and faculty with their own research. (continued on next page)
5 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 (Jim Byrne, continued from Page 4) This love of learning reflected in his work with stamps. He was always checking out information and helping others find materials to further their understanding of philatelic topics. An enthusiastic and thorough philatelic researcher, he was always willing to help others to dig deeper into any topic they were interested in. Jim will be missed by all who knew him and especially by those who learned from his example. (Ken Grant, continued from Page 4) Dr. Grant additionally served as editor of The Cinderella Philatelist, newsletter of the Cinderella Stamp Club. In 2018, he was invited to sign the Maurice Williams Roll of Notable Cinderella Philatelists. He also served on the board of the U.N. Philatelists organization. Ken was involved with a variety of American Philatelic Society committees, boards and offices since 1999. His major contributions are related to his service to the American Philatelic Research Library, where he served as president and for several years as a member of the Board of Trustees. The APS says of him: “...Ken made a lifelong, sustained, and dedicated contribution to the organizational backbone of philately.” He received the Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the APS in 2020. Ken’s cinderellas have been donated to the APRL. In May 2023, the library’s entire cinderella collection was named in his honor. (Federation, continued from Page 3) Southwest Region, Bill Lothary The Badger Stamp Club had many meetings with good attendance and many fun auctions. Janesville had a great bourse and were proud to support Aimée Devine’s Hall of Fame nomination. Rockford had a great show but is looking for a new location for next year. It has twice-monthly, well-attended meetings with nice auctions and member trading. Baraboo has started meeting again. Monroe had its October show, but had not met lately due to low attendance. Tri-State’s regular meeting attendance has risen greatly with five new members added. Standing Committees Publicity and Public Relations Chair Bowman, Devine, Weigt and the late Ken Grant With its goal of keeping philately alive within the Federation, clubs are urged to contribute to its Clubs Connections column in Across the Fence Post; eBlasts inform members of news items and programs; ATA #5 records its Zoom programs, available on the AFSC YouTube channel, open to the public. The Milcopex website has also videotaped various show presentations. Your ideas are welcomed. Special Committees, Projects and Other Appointees Newsletter: The Federation purchased a Microsoft Publisher license for new editor Joe Kowalski. Advertising: Manager, Brian Liedtke. Editorial: Chair Perry, Devine, Bowman, Liedtke, Darlene Waterstreet. Historian/Archivist: Davis responded to a request for information and received some philatelic material for the archive. American Philatelic Society Rep: Al Vick notes that free APS Chapter dues are not automatic; they must be applied for annually. Dues for 2022 and 2023 are free. American Topical Association Rep: Robert Mather. Awards Chairman: Dan Undersander. Webmaster: Greg Riesterer. Speakers Bureau Coord. Weigt. Facebook Administrator: Devine. New Business Bids for Future Conventions: No club volunteered. With WFSC financial backing, Fond du Lac club will provide volunteer help. 2024 site, Fond du Lac; venue to be determined. Convention site bids for 2025 and 2026 are still open. The health of local, Milwaukee, MSDA and state shows was discussed. Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Aimée Devine, unanimous. Election of 2023-2024 Officers Also unanimous: Greenwald, President (2 years); Liedtke, Vice President (2 years); Bowman, Youth VP (1 year); Manka, Perry, Trischan, Lothary and Rebek, Regional VPs. Closed Albums since Last Meeting Jim Byrne (Northwoods, Green Bay, WPHS, ATA 5); Ken Grant (Baraboo, WPHS); Manfred Angermann (Janesville); Ron Martini and Mike Marx (Monroe); Paul Timm (Sheboygan); Jim L. White (Waukesha); Maurice Wozniak (Central); Mary Yahr (Milw., Kettle Moraine Coin & Stamp Club, ATA .)
6 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Busy bourse in the Crystal Ballroom. Banquet table setting. Dixie Borchert and Karen Weigt at the registration desk. Best of Show exhibitor Larry Nix with Don Undersander. A mother and son explore stamps and supplies in the Youth & Beginners Room. Plenty of product for Wisconsin postal history buffs. Wiscopex 2023 May 6-7, Hotel Retlaw, Fond du Lac, Wis.
7 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 More Wisco ’23 Pix Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Exhibit critiquing by Brian Liedtke and Dan Undersander. An exhibitor’s Blue Ribbon. APS President Cheryl Ganz delivers a fascinating presentation on her hometown of Washington Island and its postal history. Al Vick and Stan Ewert appraise a visitor’s collection. Offerings at the USPS Wiscopex Station.
8 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Wiscopex 2023 Exhibit Palmares* Best in Show & 1st Place: Larry Nix’s Hiram E. Deats: American Pioneer Philatelist First Place: Clarence Davis’ Battleships John Paré’s Madison, Wisconsin Postal History: Pre-Adhesive Period Jim Stollenwerk’s Battle of Yorktown 1781, Principal Leaders, Key Places & Surrender Roland Essig Most Popular Exhibit Award: John Paré’s Madison, Wisconsin Postal History: Pre-Adhesive Period Non-Competitive Exhibits (with Appreciation from the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs): Ray Perry’s Early 1900s Institutions in Brown County, Wisconsin Darlene Waterstreet’s Two Rivers, Wis. and Soda Fountain Favorites Darlene Waterstreet’s Wisconsin State Symbols Note: Neither the Husack nor the Postal History Awards was given. Each requires at least two exhibits in those categories. WFSC Club Award – Record of Points Earned Wisconsin Postal History Society, 10 points; Badger Stamp Club, 7; Fond du Lac Stamp Club, 6; ATA Chapter 5 , 4; Baraboo Stamp Club, 3; Green Bay, 3; Kettle Moraine Stamp & Coin Club, 3; Milwaukee Philatelic Society, 3. Thank you to the judges, Brian Liedtke and Dan Undersander. Start now to plan an exhibit for Wiscopex 2024 in Fond du Lac. *Palmares (from palmarès, French) is a list of winners and their accomplishments. Chairman’s Wiscopex Review By Jim Stollenwerk I ’d like to thank all who attended this year’s show. We had approximately 220 attendees over the two days. There were 15 dealers that filled the Retlaw’s Crystal Ballroom. See the box at the right for the competitive and non-competitive exhibits. Thanks to those who put forth the effort to exhibit. Three seminar speakers gave talks ranging from exhibiting FDCs to current counterfeits to coins and stamps. The WFSC had a business meeting and a short board meeting. Thanks to the delegates who represented their local clubs at the meeting. The awards banquet was held with guest speaker, APS President Cheryl Ganz, who gave a wonderful presentation on Washington Island. A big thanks to the show committee for putting on a successful event. Expenses were fully covered by the show income. For Wiscopex 2024, we’ll be at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Fond du Lac on the weekend of May 4th and 5th. Mark your 2024 calendar. The Radisson is at southeast corner of Military and Rolling Meadows Drive, right off Highway 41. The show will be sponsored and hosted by the WFSC. We’re in the early planning stages for the show with the bourse, exhibits, seminars, silent auction, WFSC business meeting and the Saturday night awards banquet. A speaker is yet to be named. We already have guest room blocks reserved at the Radisson, (920-923-1440, $129/night*) and at the nearby Comfort Inn (920-921-4000, $119/ night*). Reserve your room early because the booking ends on April 4, 2024. (We might add more dealers to the show and would need more rooms available.) * plus 8% room tax and 5.5% sales tax
9 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Aimée Devine Becomes Newest Member of WFSC Hall of Fame Nomination Paper By Dan Undersander, Janesville Stamp Club Aimée Devine, of Janesville, Wis., is a member of the Janesville Stamp Club, Badger Stamp Club (Madison), Monroe Stamp & Postcard Club, Rockford Stamp Club, Tri-State Stamp Club, American Philatelic Society (APS), American Topical Association Chapter 5 (Milwaukee) and Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs (WFSC). Janesville Stamp Club … Aimée serves as secretary for the Janesville Stamp Club and has for many years. She keeps minutes for club meetings and keeps members apprised of meeting dates and activities. She works with advertising for our stamp show in February and with every aspect of the show to help keep it running smoothly. She even has time to come up with her own exhibit display. She organizes a stamp booth for kids at our show and at a number of other stamp shows throughout the year. Aimée is also the leader of the Janesville Junior Stamp Club. She puts up stamp displays at our Janesville main post office, along with other nearby community post offices. She’s been contacted many times by family members asking what they should do with their loved one’s stamp collection. She does her best to direct them on how to sell the collection or how to get an idea of what it may be worth. American Philatelic Society … In 2015, Aimée received the American Philatelic Society’s Ernest A. Kehr award, which recognizes one living philatelist each year whose efforts make philately attractive as a hobby to newcomers, who works directly with newcomers and young collectors, and who develops and administers programs aimed at recruiting newcomers. Aimée has been active in creating and contributing materials for the American First Day Cover Society and the American Philatelic Society for their respective outreach programs, including the APS Stamps Teach project. American Topical Association (ATA) … Aimée was named the ATA Distinguished Topical Philatelist for 2019 because of her extensive contributions to youth philately, which specifically cites her creation of the group’s Topical Tidbits activity sheets and newsletter. Aimée also created an activity booklet with a Disney stamp theme, titled The Magic Kingdom of Stamp Collecting, which won a first-place award for philatelic promotion in the international philatelic literature competition sponsored by the Christoph Gaertner auction firm. WFSC … Aimée is the Facebook Administrator. She is on the WFSC Publicity and Public Relations Committee, Website Committee, Editorial Advisory Council and, in 2022, the Wiscopex Committee. Aimée was the former editor of Across the Fence Post. She was the WFSC Southwest Region VP temporarily in 2021-22. She was awarded the WFSC President’s Award. Aimée was a 2021 Honorarium Recipient for Club Educational Program Ideas. She developed “The Christmas Song Game” as a club program idea. She helped the WFSC create the Boy Scout Stamp Collecting Merit Badge Workshop. She works with the WFSC Youth Resources (Connecting Kids with Stamps) found on their website. Aimée has worked with ATA youth chair MaryAnn Bowman to create youth activities for the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs and also created activities and printed materials for the 2016 New York World Stamp Show. As a young child, Aimée was introduced to stamp collecting by her grandmother, according to the ATA, and has since involved her sons Thomas and David in the stamp hobby. “Aimée’s work has shown a high level of creativity toward making stamp collecting attractive to young people and beginning collectors,” the Wisconsin Federation noted in its July 2021 newsletter. “Her creative dedicated force has added a new dimension to youth philately and helped make the hobby more accessible from around the world.” We feel Aimée deserves to be added to the Wisconsin Philatelic Hall of Fame for her strong contribution to the stamp collecting hobby. As you can tell by all her accomplishments and commitments, she is dedicated to stamp collecting. We don’t know of anyone who has worked harder and is more dedicated to getting youth involved in this wonderful hobby. Our Janesville Stamp Club would be lost without her.
10 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Connecting with Clubs By MaryAnn Bowman, WFSC VP Youth Division, Publicity and PR Milcopex, 2023, Wisconsin’s largest postage stamp show, will be held Sept. 22-23 at the Brookfield Conference Center, 325 S. Moorland Rd., Brookfield—the same venue as last year. Friday’s show hours are noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking and admission are free. The 2023 show theme is picture postcards. Exhibits and programming will complement the theme. Presentations are planned for both before and during the show. On Sunday, September 10th at 3 pm, join David Figg with his Zoom presentation “Putting Postcards in the Picture.” Tim Bartshe’s Zoom program, “Picture Postcards Exhibiting for Gold,” will be offered on Sunday, September 17 at 3 p.m. Zoom instructions and links will be posted on the Milcopex website as the show approaches. Also via a pre-recorded Zoom program, Professor Shalom Sabar will tell the story of the early Jewish postcards. There will be two in-person postcard programs at the show. Jim Meverden will enlighten the audience with picture postcards that tell the story of Milwaukee. Want to learn more about the basics of deltiology, as postcard collecting is called? Then Joe Stransky’s presentation is one to plan on attending. A Postcrossing meetup event is planned. Learn about a project that allows you to send and receive postcards back from random people around the world. Attendees will receive a souvenir postcard. An activity table where visitors to the show can create their own picture postcards is also planned. Participating groups will include the American Philatelic Society, Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs, Wisconsin Postal History Society, American Topical Association Chapter 5 and the Milwaukee Philatelic Society. The show would not be complete without the silent auction. As the show approaches, the Milcopex website will have further information as well as photos of some of the better lots. With material to satisfy beginning as well as advanced collectors, there is bound to be something that will strike your fancy. Dealers will offer a variety of philatelic and postal history collectibles. USPS presence is expected. The show will include competitive exhibits and be judged by a team of three accredited APS judges. Winners will be recognized at an informal gathering early Saturday morning. As a World Series of Philately show, the multi-frame grand award winner will be eligible to compete in the 2024 Great American Stamp Show in Hartford, Connecticut, August 15- 18 2024. A BIG thank you to WFSC clubs that supported Milcopex through monetary donations. Is your club name on the donor list? It is not too late. No amount is too small. Donations, whether club or individual, can be sent to Bob Mather, S56 W29562 Roanoke Dr., Waukesha, WI. 53189. Your support of organized philately is appreciated! For details about Milcopex, exhibiting and dealer information, schedule of events, and participating societies, please visit www.milcopex.org.
11 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 See what our advertising dealers have to offer! mortgage and raising three children, so I did not have a lot of money for stamps. But I did manage to occasionally purchase some and over the years I accumulated quite a number of them. Being a rather conservative person, I usually needed everything to be neat—nice and square or perfectly round, no arcs or curves. You might say I was not very imaginative. My goal was to get a complete collection and it would not satisfy me until that was accomplished. I knew I could never acquire a complete foreign collection and I could not afford a complete U.S. collection. That was discouraging. I had most of the U.S. that I could afford, so it was just a case of going to the post office and picking the new ones. Not a very rewarding hobby at that point. I looked around for something else to collect that would satisfy me and thought that United Nations would be a good collecting area. If I could get the 1955 souvenir sheet, which dealers were then selling for $450, I would have a complete collection, my ultimate goal. I had never purchased many foreign stamps over the years, but I did have quite a large album of them. I managed to trade it with a dealer for that ’55 sheet, which made me extremely happy. I really felt like I was now officially a stamp collector. Eventually the mortgage got paid off and the children grew up and moved away, and I was able to spend quite a bit of money on my hobby. I gradually sold my U.S. collection through club auctions and acquaintances, and used the proceeds to purchase UN items. (continued on page 15) This is the story of my life as a stamp collector from the time my mother got me my first stamps at six years of age until today. I have had 84 years of joy because of it. I was born in the Great Depression and my parents were poor people on a farm trying to get by. There were eventually nine children in my family of which I was the oldest. We did not know that we were poor, because my father butchered a hog and a beef every year and we had a large garden from which my mother canned enough to keep us from going hungry. She sewed colored feed sacks into dresses for the girls and shirts for the boys. One day my mother came home from town and gave each of us four kids a small package of stamps; I was six years old. I know that it was a sacrifice for my mother to lay out enough money for those stamps, perhaps a quarter or so. She had once been a teacher, so she knew how to occupy kids. We made stamp albums out of sheets of newspapers which we cut and folded. We even made our own stamp hinges, with folded bits of paper and flour-and-water paste. We were officially stamp collectors! We children could not afford to buy our own stamps, but we did watch the mail and we made sure that all our relatives saved theirs for us. As time went by, I was the only one who kept on collecting stamps, and eventually obtained my siblings’ accumulation. I collected many U.S. and foreigns until into my high school years. But then school activities, sports and girls became more important to me and the collection was left to collect dust in the closet. Married years later, my wife Lorelei and I were in an antique store and she talked me into purchasing a packet of old stamps for my “collection." I did buy it, so once again, I became officially a stamp collector. It was also about this time that we were paying on a How I Became a Stamp Collector . . . 4 Times! By Robert Mather Waukesha Philatelic Society and ATA Chapter 5
12 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Some Women on U.S. Stamps
13 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Answer key to this puzzle is on page 15. Full-sized versions of all answered puzzles are at wfscstamps.org/ATFP/. ACROSS: 3. From 1908 to 1922, this baffling series featured two famous Americans in 1¢ to $5 denominations (two words, not hyphenated here). 6. A 2002 set of 20 black-and-whites sampled the work of the Masters of American ____________. 8. Separate 2018 issues, first in blue, later in red, commemorated this postal delivery service begun 100 years earlier. 11. From 1954 to 1956, Spain issued 21 color variations showing the face of dictator Francisco _____. 12. This orange vehicle, one of five in the 2022 set of Pony Cars, is the 1969 Wisconsin-made AMC _______. 13. Green 24¢ Liberty issue of 1958 paid tribute to this Revolutionary War hero (two words). DOWN: 1. From 1968 to 2022, these British definitives featured Queen Elizabeth II’s profile in hundreds of colors. 2. 2018 sheet of square commemoratives in four different shades honored this musician (two words). 4. The 2020 round Global Forever stamp shows this brilliant pink flower. 5. Controversial 1948 sepia stamp with a barnyard bird commemorated the supposed 100th anniversary of this industry. 7. Value in dollars of the 2022 purple Floral Geometry stamp. 9. Only woman honored, in 1½¢ “bister brown,” among 1938 Presidential definitives (her first name). 10. Value in dollars of the 2022 green Floral Geometry stamp. Except where noted, all clues refer to U.S. stamps.
14 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Clip & Save? This Space (Still) Available! The following clubs have not yet been highlighted in the newsletter, at least not in years. > Bay de Noc Stamp & Coin Club > Central Wisconsin Stamp Club > Chippewa Valley Stamp Club > Kettle Moraine Coin & Stamp Club > Lakeland Stamp & Coin Club > Manitowoc Philatelic Society > Milwaukee Philatelic Society > Monroe Stamp & Postcard Club > Sheboygan Stamp Club > Tri-State Stamp Club Wisconsin > Valley Philatelic Society Kindly send the editor your club’s contribution to this series. Deadline for the next issue is September 1. CURRENT WFSC CONTACTS • ATFP Editor Joe Kowalski [email protected] • Ad and eBlast Manager Brian Liedtke, [email protected] • Show Calendar Coordinator Greg Riesterer [email protected] Featured Local Club By _______ __________, ______________ Stamp Club MDSA Waukesha July 8-9 TOSAPEX August 19-20 MILCOPEX September 22-23 MSDA Glen Ellyn September 9-10
15 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023 Lakeland Coin and Stamp Show Lakeland Stamp and Coin Club Woodruff Town Hall Community Center, about half-mile east of Highways 51 and 47 Woodruff, Wis. 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Chuck Rebek. 414-475-1809 or 715-588-3392) bourse only Bay du Noc Stamp & Coin Show Bay du Noc and Delta Coin clubs Bay College, Joseph Heirman Bldg. 2001 North Lincoln Road Escanaba, Mich. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time (Richard Reiffer, [email protected]) bourse only TOSAPEX ‘23 Wauwatosa Philatelic Society St. Francis Lions Community Center 3476 E. Howard Avenue, St. Francis, Wis. Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-3 (Michael Mules, 414-234-9867, [email protected]) bourse only Milcopex 2023 Milwaukee Philatelic Society Brookfield Convention Center 325 Moorland Road Brookfield, Wis. Friday 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m (MaryAnn Bowman, [email protected]) bourse, judged exhibits, seminars Monroe Stamp and Postcard Show Monroe Stamp and Postcard Club Monroe Moose Lodge 639 Third Avenue Monroe, Wis Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Randy Riese, 608-558-6430, [email protected]) bourse only CENWISPEX Central Wisconsin Stamp Club The Elks Club 1132 Clark Street Stevens Point, Wis 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (J.D. Manville, 715-498-1111, [email protected]) bourse only MSDA La Crosse Show Midwest Stamp Dealers Assoc. La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse, Wis. Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-3 bourse only MDSA Chicagoland West Stamp Show Midwest Stamp Dealers Assoc. College of DuPage Student Resource Center 425 Fawell Blvd. Glen Ellyn, Ill. Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-3 bourse only Show Calendar Check wfscstamps.org for updates. Send new show listings to Greg Riesterer, [email protected], 608-448-3231. WFSC CLUB SHOWS July 22, 2023 August 19-20, 2023 September 22-23, 2023 October 14, 2023 OTHER SHOWS July 8-9, 2023 June 17-18, 2023 July 21-23, 2023 September 9-10, 2023 October 7, 2023 MSDA Milwaukee Show Midwest Stamp Dealers Assoc. Waukesha Expo Center—Forum Building 1000 Northview Road, Waukesha, Wis. Sat. 10-5, Sun 10-3 bourse only Minnesota Stamp Expo Maplewood Stamp Club, Twin City Philatelic Soc., Minnetonka Stamp Club and Minnesota Stamp Dealers Assoc. Crystal Community Center 4800 N. Douglas Dr. North Crystal, Minn. Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-5, Sun 10-4 bourse, judged exhibits, seminars (Mather, continued from p. 11) I had acquired all of the United Nations material, “as issued”— no used material unless it had some historical significance. I eventually got to the point where I had everything that was out there and felt that I had the most complete UN collection in the state and maybe in the Midwest. It had gotten to the point that all I could do was to keep up with the new issues. Again, not very rewarding . One day at the local stamp store, I mentioned that I was not getting the satisfaction from the hobby that I was looking for. MaryAnn Bowman, a well-known collector and promoter of the hobby for youth, was in the store. She picked up a lovely envelope with an “all-over” cachet depicting a lieutenant in an 1800s Western fort, with pack donkeys saddled up. MaryAnn said, “Here, Bob, collect donkeys.” Well, that didn’t work for me: I could never get a complete set of those animals. But I really did like that cover. I paid $2 for it, sold my UN’s and never looked back. Today I only collect stamps with donkeys on them and the hobby is more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. I now know that today I am officially a stamp collector. August 19, 2023
16 Across the Fence Post July-August-September 2023