GORDON GRAY BLEULER
Put his stamp on postal collecting by pushing the envelope
Some people learn about history from school textbooks. Gordon Gray Bleuler learned from the ordinary people who lived it.
Mr. Bleuler , one of the most respected philatelists in the nation, pioneered a form of postal collecting that requires gathering not just stamps, but envelopes and letters as well. He amassed a collection that numbered in the thousands and could only be held in a large bank vault.
" Gordon started collecting postal history in 1940, when there probably weren't 100 people in the country who knew what that meant," said friend and collector Jim Doolin. "He got in on the ground floor."
Mr. Bleuler wrote numerous articles for philatelic groups, contributed to books and mentored countless collectors.
The longtime ARCO accountant died Jan. 31 of complications from pneumonia at LifeCare Hospital in Plano. He was 90.
Services are at 2 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Bleuler was introduced to stamp collecting while growing up in Tulsa, Okla., during the 1920s and '30s. His interest in the history of his home state led him to gather one of the largest collections of Indian and Oklahoma Territory correspondence.
He conducted meetings for other stamp seekers, and in 1932, at age 15, he helped establish the Oklahoma Philatelic Society.
"Can you imagine a 15-year-old being a founder of that society?" said his brother, Jack H. Bleuler . "That shows you he was precocious" in postal history.
Mr. Bleuler continued gathering stamps until he sold his collection in 1940 to make a down payment on his Dallas home.
Many of the envelopes Mr. Bleuler found were decorated by the sender with engravings or hand-drawn pictures. An artist in his own right, Mr. Bleuler often illustrated the pages on which he mounted his collections.
In addition to collecting, he researched the history behind the letters, writing a fictional story based on his letters or conducting lessons for anybody who would listen. One of those Mr. Bleuler often enthralled was his younger brother.
"It wasn't just collecting stamps; it was using a historical viewpoint on things that made it more interesting," said Jack Bleuler , who lives in Far North Dallas. "He'd entertain you until you were crying to get out. He wouldn't let you up. He could show you as long as you could stand it."
For those he mentored, his lessons were priceless.
"He never met a collector that he didn't like," Mr. Doolin said. "He was like a father in addition to being a mentor to me, someone who was always a learning experience to be around."
Mr. Bleuler was preceded in death by his wife, Nina Ruth. In addition to his brother and sister-in-law, Georgene Bleuler, Mr. Bleuler is survived by a son, Gordon Bleuler Jr. of Oak Cliff.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), February 11, 2007, page: 12B
Put his stamp on postal collecting by pushing the envelope
Some people learn about history from school textbooks. Gordon Gray Bleuler learned from the ordinary people who lived it.
Mr. Bleuler , one of the most respected philatelists in the nation, pioneered a form of postal collecting that requires gathering not just stamps, but envelopes and letters as well. He amassed a collection that numbered in the thousands and could only be held in a large bank vault.
" Gordon started collecting postal history in 1940, when there probably weren't 100 people in the country who knew what that meant," said friend and collector Jim Doolin. "He got in on the ground floor."
Mr. Bleuler wrote numerous articles for philatelic groups, contributed to books and mentored countless collectors.
The longtime ARCO accountant died Jan. 31 of complications from pneumonia at LifeCare Hospital in Plano. He was 90.
Services are at 2 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Bleuler was introduced to stamp collecting while growing up in Tulsa, Okla., during the 1920s and '30s. His interest in the history of his home state led him to gather one of the largest collections of Indian and Oklahoma Territory correspondence.
He conducted meetings for other stamp seekers, and in 1932, at age 15, he helped establish the Oklahoma Philatelic Society.
"Can you imagine a 15-year-old being a founder of that society?" said his brother, Jack H. Bleuler . "That shows you he was precocious" in postal history.
Mr. Bleuler continued gathering stamps until he sold his collection in 1940 to make a down payment on his Dallas home.
Many of the envelopes Mr. Bleuler found were decorated by the sender with engravings or hand-drawn pictures. An artist in his own right, Mr. Bleuler often illustrated the pages on which he mounted his collections.
In addition to collecting, he researched the history behind the letters, writing a fictional story based on his letters or conducting lessons for anybody who would listen. One of those Mr. Bleuler often enthralled was his younger brother.
"It wasn't just collecting stamps; it was using a historical viewpoint on things that made it more interesting," said Jack Bleuler , who lives in Far North Dallas. "He'd entertain you until you were crying to get out. He wouldn't let you up. He could show you as long as you could stand it."
For those he mentored, his lessons were priceless.
"He never met a collector that he didn't like," Mr. Doolin said. "He was like a father in addition to being a mentor to me, someone who was always a learning experience to be around."
Mr. Bleuler was preceded in death by his wife, Nina Ruth. In addition to his brother and sister-in-law, Georgene Bleuler, Mr. Bleuler is survived by a son, Gordon Bleuler Jr. of Oak Cliff.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), February 11, 2007, page: 12B
GORDON GRAY BLEULER
Put his stamp on postal collecting by pushing the envelope
Some people learn about history from school textbooks. Gordon Gray Bleuler learned from the ordinary people who lived it.
Mr. Bleuler , one of the most respected philatelists in the nation, pioneered a form of postal collecting that requires gathering not just stamps, but envelopes and letters as well. He amassed a collection that numbered in the thousands and could only be held in a large bank vault.
" Gordon started collecting postal history in 1940, when there probably weren't 100 people in the country who knew what that meant," said friend and collector Jim Doolin. "He got in on the ground floor."
Mr. Bleuler wrote numerous articles for philatelic groups, contributed to books and mentored countless collectors.
The longtime ARCO accountant died Jan. 31 of complications from pneumonia at LifeCare Hospital in Plano. He was 90.
Services are at 2 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Bleuler was introduced to stamp collecting while growing up in Tulsa, Okla., during the 1920s and '30s. His interest in the history of his home state led him to gather one of the largest collections of Indian and Oklahoma Territory correspondence.
He conducted meetings for other stamp seekers, and in 1932, at age 15, he helped establish the Oklahoma Philatelic Society.
"Can you imagine a 15-year-old being a founder of that society?" said his brother, Jack H. Bleuler . "That shows you he was precocious" in postal history.
Mr. Bleuler continued gathering stamps until he sold his collection in 1940 to make a down payment on his Dallas home.
Many of the envelopes Mr. Bleuler found were decorated by the sender with engravings or hand-drawn pictures. An artist in his own right, Mr. Bleuler often illustrated the pages on which he mounted his collections.
In addition to collecting, he researched the history behind the letters, writing a fictional story based on his letters or conducting lessons for anybody who would listen. One of those Mr. Bleuler often enthralled was his younger brother.
"It wasn't just collecting stamps; it was using a historical viewpoint on things that made it more interesting," said Jack Bleuler , who lives in Far North Dallas. "He'd entertain you until you were crying to get out. He wouldn't let you up. He could show you as long as you could stand it."
For those he mentored, his lessons were priceless.
"He never met a collector that he didn't like," Mr. Doolin said. "He was like a father in addition to being a mentor to me, someone who was always a learning experience to be around."
Mr. Bleuler was preceded in death by his wife, Nina Ruth. In addition to his brother and sister-in-law, Georgene Bleuler, Mr. Bleuler is survived by a son, Gordon Bleuler Jr. of Oak Cliff.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), February 11, 2007, page: 12B
Put his stamp on postal collecting by pushing the envelope
Some people learn about history from school textbooks. Gordon Gray Bleuler learned from the ordinary people who lived it.
Mr. Bleuler , one of the most respected philatelists in the nation, pioneered a form of postal collecting that requires gathering not just stamps, but envelopes and letters as well. He amassed a collection that numbered in the thousands and could only be held in a large bank vault.
" Gordon started collecting postal history in 1940, when there probably weren't 100 people in the country who knew what that meant," said friend and collector Jim Doolin. "He got in on the ground floor."
Mr. Bleuler wrote numerous articles for philatelic groups, contributed to books and mentored countless collectors.
The longtime ARCO accountant died Jan. 31 of complications from pneumonia at LifeCare Hospital in Plano. He was 90.
Services are at 2 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Bleuler was introduced to stamp collecting while growing up in Tulsa, Okla., during the 1920s and '30s. His interest in the history of his home state led him to gather one of the largest collections of Indian and Oklahoma Territory correspondence.
He conducted meetings for other stamp seekers, and in 1932, at age 15, he helped establish the Oklahoma Philatelic Society.
"Can you imagine a 15-year-old being a founder of that society?" said his brother, Jack H. Bleuler . "That shows you he was precocious" in postal history.
Mr. Bleuler continued gathering stamps until he sold his collection in 1940 to make a down payment on his Dallas home.
Many of the envelopes Mr. Bleuler found were decorated by the sender with engravings or hand-drawn pictures. An artist in his own right, Mr. Bleuler often illustrated the pages on which he mounted his collections.
In addition to collecting, he researched the history behind the letters, writing a fictional story based on his letters or conducting lessons for anybody who would listen. One of those Mr. Bleuler often enthralled was his younger brother.
"It wasn't just collecting stamps; it was using a historical viewpoint on things that made it more interesting," said Jack Bleuler , who lives in Far North Dallas. "He'd entertain you until you were crying to get out. He wouldn't let you up. He could show you as long as you could stand it."
For those he mentored, his lessons were priceless.
"He never met a collector that he didn't like," Mr. Doolin said. "He was like a father in addition to being a mentor to me, someone who was always a learning experience to be around."
Mr. Bleuler was preceded in death by his wife, Nina Ruth. In addition to his brother and sister-in-law, Georgene Bleuler, Mr. Bleuler is survived by a son, Gordon Bleuler Jr. of Oak Cliff.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), February 11, 2007, page: 12B
Family Members
Spouse
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
