All Member Post

Did you Know? (June 2025)

Posted on by Guy Gasser

One theory as to the origin of the tête-bêche varieties of the Ceres heads of France comes from deliberately replacing a damaged cliché with an inverted one. The head of stamp printing could then, at a glance, tell where the plate had been repaired. These varieties are highly sought after by collectors.

Robert V. “Bob” Ogrodnik (1938-2025)

Posted on by Pat Morgan

Robert V. “Bob” Ogrodnik, 87, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2025.

Bob joined the Greater Mound City Stamp Club on April 1, 1996, member #331.

Robert is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Carol (Morin), daughters Karla Boresi, Erika (Oscar) Yepes, and Tanya (Michael) Haber, six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his parents, Stella (Rekas) and Joseph Ogrodnik, and sisters Jeanne (Martin) Hartigan and Dolores (Terry) Bower.

A graduate of La Salle Academy and the University of Rhode Island, Bob had a 40-year career with Emerson Electric, where he served as the president of several manufacturing divisions, and the extensive work he did evaluating international acquisitions and partnerships allowed him to fulfill his childhood dreams of traveling the world.

One of the greatest honors of Bob’s life was serving 15 years as the Honorary Counsel for the Republic of Poland in Missouri. His accomplishments included establishing the first consulate in St. Louis since 1920, assisting Polish citizens to exercise their right to vote in Polish elections and to renew their passports, and acting as a liaison with the Polish government.

A passionate philatelist from the age of 7, Bob’s extensive collections focused on stamps from Poland and the Vatican. He also collected United States stamps as a side collection. He served as President of the Polonus Polish Philatelic Society from 1995-2002, and was proud of his gold-medal winning exhibit “First Polish Airmail after WWII.”

Organizations such as the Lupus Foundation, National Kidney Foundation and the Bach Society benefited greatly from Bob’s time and talents. Bob enjoyed tennis, golf, and travel.

Did you Know? (May 2025)

Posted on by Guy Gasser

The 1932 Olympic Games stamps were not just used to promote the 1oth Olympiad in Los Angeles, but also for political purposes. George Linn, owner of Linn’s and publisher of Linn’s Weekly Stamp News, was an avid supporter of Franklin Roosevelt during his campaign for President. He and the public used the stamps on covers with cachets supporting a “Stamp Collector for President.”