[Rockhounds] Larry Osterberger

[Alan Goldstein]

A noted fossil collector and supplier Larry Osterberger passed away in Ringgold, Georgia this morning (June 1). I just talked to Carol who told me he died rather suddenly after being admitted to the hospital last night. I met Larry in the early 1980's and we had many fossil collecting trips. He was an avid collector of Mazon Creek fossils in the 1960s and many of his friends knew him from those fossil days. More recently he collected extensively in Tennessee (Siluiran and Devonian fauna) and Alabama (Upper Mississippian crinoids). 

About a decade ago he made contact with an educator who was from the part of Indonesia with the famous Permian / Triassic fauna. His effort produced a huge number of blastoids, ammonites, corals and many other fossils employing villagers in this very remote part of Timor. He provided specimens to scientists and the practically flooded the fossil collector market with specimens.

Finally, Larry was a chemical engineer design specialty adhesives (mostly for industrial uses like beer bottle labels). One adhesive was used to assemble the rhodochrosite pocket from the Sweet Home Mine that is on display in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He also developed several projects to clean shale-covered fossils. His Rock-Quat product seems to have been quite popular. 

I am talking to Carol about the disposition of his enormous fossil collection. Stay tuned! 

Alan G.

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