So long, Jim Czyl—and thanks for all the stamps

Earlier this week, I saw on the Local Post Collectors Society’s Facebook group page that Jim Czyl, a longtime local post stamp collector and producer who had been creating his own labels since before I was even born, died in June. I’ve been told this was also reported in Linns, and although I guess it was fairly well known to those who had any contact with Jim that he had had some health problems, I was still saddened to read about his death.

I’m not entirely sure where I got the idea to make my own “stamps,” but Jim was the first local post collector who ever contacted me and asked for copies of what I’d made. I’m reasonably sure, too, that he was the one who told me about the LPCS; before that, I had no idea such a group even existed.

Jim was kind enough when he first contacted me to send a couple of packets of local post stamps that he had created over the years, and I understand from Scott A., the operator of Purgatory Post, that Jim did the same for him. I never actually met him, and didn’t know much about him, but from what I’ve heard, it sounds like he was generous with his time and stamps.

So long, Jim—and thanks for all the stamps.

Published 2014-07-16