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Michigan native William “Bill” Post, inventor of Pop-Tarts, dies at 96
(CBS DETROIT) – William “Bill” Post, the Michigan native who was a key figure in creating Pop-Tarts, has died. He was 96.
Post, who died on Feb. 10, grew up in Grand Rapids and was one of seven children of Dutch immigrants, according to his obituary.
He graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School, and while he was a student, he had a part-time job as a truck washer at Hekman Biscuit Company, which later became known as Keebler Company.
Post served in the Army Air Corps in occupied Japan and also married his high school sweetheart, Florence Schut.
When he returned home, he started working part time at Hekman again and went to Calvin College for two years.
By age 21, Post was the company’s full-time personnel manager and also worked with sales, production, and more.
Twenty years later, Post was the plant manager of Hekman (Keebler) and welcomed Kellogg’s executives who had an idea for a new product for Keebler to make.
This idea led to the creation of the Pop-Tart.
“To be accurate, however, Bill would say, ‘I assembled an amazing team that developed Kellogg’s concept of a shelf-stable toaster pastry into a fine product that we could bring to market in the span of just four months’, The collaboration and growth of Kellogg’s and Keebler continued until Kellogg’s finally purchased the Keebler company,” according to his obituary.
In 1967, Post and his family moved to Elmhurst, Illinois, so that he could work at the Keebler offices as the senior vice president.
His obituary says that he was often asked to talk to students about the invention of the Pop-Tart.
“Over the years, Bill has been interviewed by newspaper reporters (including the New York Times), TV reporters (History Channel, CBS, etc.), and by radio hosts in this country and abroad,” according to Post’s obituary. “He was asked to tell the Pop Tart story to young people in countless classrooms and always enjoyed accommodating those requests, giving his testimony of God’s goodness to “the son of an immigrant,” and bringing some of his unending supply of Pop Tarts with him.”
Post retired at the age of 56 and retired to Glen Arbor, Michigan, but worked as a consultant at Kellogg’s for the next 20 years.
His obituary says he was a man who loved to help out the community.
“In spite of an extraordinary life and legendary accomplishments, Bill remained a humble man of God with a servant’s heart that seemed to overflow with generosity,” the obituary read. “He served the communities in which he lived as a board member for schools, churches, the YMCA, and was a member of Gideons International for 60 years.”
His wife Florence died in 2020, and he is survived by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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Nowadays, what makes a martini a martini? Robert Simonson, who wrote a book about the martini, said, “It’s funny: it’s strict and loose at the same time.”
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Everyone seems to have an opinion about the cocktail: “Ingredients, proportions, garnishes – it’s all subject to debate,” Simonson said. “I’m a purist. I would think it needs to be gin and vermouth. But I’m willing to bend and say, ‘Okay, vodka and vermouth as well.’ [However,] if there’s no vermouth in there, I don’t know how you can call it a cocktail.”
Simonson says the martini was probably named after a vermouth company. It was invented in America in the 1870s or ’80s when bartenders mixed gin with vermouth, a fortified wine made with herbs and spices. “It’s a very big player in cocktail history,” he said.
In the early 20th century, the “very-dry” martini became very-popular: Ice cold gin or vodka, garnished with a lemon twist, or an olive, or an onion, but only a little vermouth (or maybe not even a little).
Samantha Casuga, the head bartender at Temple Bar in New York City, says the reason why many people might not want vermouth in their martini is because, for years, vermouth was stored improperly. “It should be in the fridge,” she said.
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Casuga’s classic martini is two parts gin, one part vermouth, with a twist of lemon. She suggests that you probably shouldn’t order it the way James Bond does – shaken, not stirred. Casuga says she’s always stirring, but some people like the show behind the bar when a bartender shakes their cocktail. “Definitely, people love a good shake,” she said.
People also love to have a martini made just the way they want it. But Casuga understands why they might be so specific: “To have your own preferences, not only listened to and then executed, is, like, that’s luxury itself.”
Writer Robert Simonson says that a martini can also add a little luxury to your Thanksgiving. “It actually makes very good sense for Thanksgiving,” he said. “It will whet your appetite for the meal to come.
“There are very few American inventions more American than the martini. So, an American holiday, American drink.”
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Story produced by Mary Raffalli. Editor: Remington Korper.
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