On February 10, the world said goodbye to William Post. Mr. Post helped create the very first Pop-Tarts. He died in Michigan at the age of 96.
Mr. Post was one of seven kids. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a teenager, he earned money washing trucks at Hekman Biscuit Company. He later served in the Army Air Corps and attended Calvin College. He married Florence Schut.
Eventually, Mr. Post became a manager at the Hekman Biscuit Company. One day, executives from a large cereal company called Kellogg’s challenged him. Could he create a pastry that could be warmed in a toaster?
His son Dan told the story to The New York Times. “Being the absolutely positive person that he was, he said, ‘Absolutely, give me two weeks,’” Dan recalls. Mr. Post brought his pastry experiments home nearly every day. His kids taste-tested them. At first, they tasted like cardboard. But by the end of the two weeks, they tasted good.
The year 1964 saw the official birth of the Pop-Tart. It was two rectangular sheets of pastry with fruity filling. The toaster pastry was originally sold in four flavors—strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple-currant. The next year, it was released all over America.
Mr. Post didn’t exactly invent the Pop-Tart. But he did assemble the team that made it happen. Mr. Post said he also came up with the idea to add icing.
Now people buy billions of Pop-Tarts every year. Instead of just four flavors, the grab-and-go treats come in more than 20. (Over the years, there have been around 100 different flavors of the toaster pastry.)
Mr. Post’s Pop-Tarts are now 60 years old. But do you know what was even older? Mr. Post’s marriage. He and Mrs. Post were married for 73 years. She died in 2020.
People not only love these pastries. They also love hearing how they came to be. Mr. Post was often invited to tell the Pop-Tart story to students, his obituary says. He enjoyed taking the time to give “his testimony of God’s goodness” and share his treats.
Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. — Job 12:12
