CHESTER L. KRAUSE, 1923-2016

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V19 2016 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 19, Number 26, June 26, 2016, Article 2

Chester Krause of Iola, WI, founder of Numismatic News and Krause Publications passed away Saturday June 25, 2016. Many thanks to Mark Anderson and Ray Williams for passing the word on the Colonial Coins group earlier today.

I had the pleasure of meeting Chet on a few occasions at ANA conventions. He was always gracious. He was a giant in U.S. numismatic publishing, starting Numismatic News at his kitchen table and growing the business into a publishing empire that includes the indispensible Standard Catalog of World Coins series.

In 2008 he published his autobiography I'm Chet, which I assume is still available from the Iola Historical Society. See the earlier E-SYlum article linked below for more information.

Below is a photo taken by John Wilson at the 2008 Baltimore ANA Banquet. -Editor

It is my unhappy task to report that I received a call this morning from Patty [Krause] Dickhut informing me that Chet Krause passed away yesterday, peacefully, at his apartment in the Iola facility where he has been very well cared for for several years.

Regarding the Krause business model that originated in numismatics, George Cuhaj writes:

In the early 1970s the model of a newspaper for a hobby, and then catalogs to support that hobby were duplicated for Sport Cards, Records, Comics, Guns, and Knives. Shows were also added in many of these fields. Although some events or books ran at a loss, it was the whole package to serve the collector which mattered; eventually there would be a return. Very often buying an existing publication rather than starting one from scratch.

In addition, many local charities benefited from his generosity, among them Bart Starr's Rawhide Boy's Ranch, Wisconsin Lion's Camp, many local historical societies and uncountable people in need.

The ANA honored him with the Zerbe Award. The Car Collector community honored him with the Maguire Award.

George provided the below photos of Chet Krause speaking at the unveiling of the Numismatic News Historical Marker and at a book signing for the 40th Anniversary of the Iola Old Car show. Thanks! -Editor

I was thrilled to be able to attend an ANS Gala Dinner where Chet Krause was the honoree. I was able to talk to him alone for a while. He told me about his WWII experiences serving in a Sherman Tank. His most memorable experience was liberating a Nazi concentration camp.

Abstract:
Chester L. “Chet” Krause, a Helvetia, Wisconsin native, discusses his World War II service with Army anti-aircraft artillery in Europe and visiting Buchenwald concentration camp after its liberation. $b Krause talks about being drafted, artillery training at Camp Wallace (Texas), auto mechanic training at Camp Davis (North Carolina), and assignment to the 565th Anti-Aircraft Battalion at Camp Stewart (Georgia). He touches upon types of anti-aircraft battalions, the change of weapon control from a fire control center to radar control, and the use of proximity fuse ammunition. Assigned to Luxembourg City during the Battle of the Bulge, Krause comments on providing protection for the 3rd Army Headquarters, giving coffee to soldiers passing through in convoys, and seeing B-24 bombers dropping tinsel chaff to interfere with radar. He describes his work fixing trucks, salvaging parts, guarding field artillery near the Rhine, and following Armored Divisions. He comments on the Army’s dependence on 70 octane gas and states it was always stored in five-gallon cans. Krause details visiting Buchenwald concentration camp: giving their "D-rations" to the camp doctor, having the structure of the camp explained, and visiting the Jewish section, the whorehouse, and the crematorium. He recalls retracing his steps with other veterans from his battalion in the early 1990s. He describes guarding the ports at Camp Lucky Strike (France) and Antwerp (Belgium). He evaluates the effectiveness of English soldiers and compares them to American troops. He touches upon his return to his family farm, the economic conditions following the war, getting involved in the publication business, and attending reunions.

Biographical Sketch:

Krause (b.1923) served in World War II with the 565th Anti-Aircraft Battalion. After the war he returned to Wisconsin and eventually settled in Iola. While working as a carpenter, he founded Krause Publications in 1952 and was involved with publications such as Numismatic News, the Standard Catalog of World Coins, and Old Cars.