Loberg Day Q&A with Ruth (Loberg) Poston

Editor’s Note: In honor of this year’s Loberg Day festivities celebrating our late founder and the values he held dear, one of Tom Loberg’s children, Ruth (Loberg) Poston shared her thoughts about her father and his legacy. 

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What was Tom like as a father? How was he at home and/or at work?

He was a hardworking, responsible father. Strict, but loving. He was honest and wanted to set a good example for us. He would never ask us to do anything that he wasn’t willing or capable of doing himself. There were two things in Dad’s life that were very important to him: God and family. Our family would attend church twice every Sunday. As a former high school trumpet player and drum major, he loved music. Some mornings, my siblings and I would be woken up by Dad playing marches written by John Philips Sousa. He wanted to share his love of music, which is why he encouraged us to join the band at school.

What did your family like to do for fun?

We loved to go camping, especially when we were kids. When we lived in Milwaukee, we would travel to northern Wisconsin to camp and enjoy the outdoors. There was a lake nearby that we loved to swim in, and that is where we usually set up camp. We also enjoyed having picnics. After attending church services, we would occasionally picnic in the park. While visiting other family members in Chicago, we would usually go to Lake Michigan, visit museums or drive around looking at Christmas lights.

What motivated Tom as a father and as an entrepeneur?

Dad loved solving problems; even at a young age, he was fascinated with how things worked. He would often take things apart to see if he could put them back together in working order. He especially loved gadgets. Dad was always motivated to work hard on his projects, and this continued into his working life as an entrepreneur.

What are some of your favorite memories of Tom and the family?

One of my favorite memories was during a Sunday picnic. My mom was still in her Sunday best preparing the food, and we were playing tag football with Dad. He called out to mom and tossed her the ball. To our surprise, she caught the ball and ran. After seeing that, we all caught up to her and tagged her. Since she wouldn’t stop, we did what most kids would do and tackled her into one big pile. We all got a good laugh finishing what Dad had started.

Regarding birthday memories, Dad loved his 80^th birthday party at the Spring River in Hardy, Arkansas. Lots of people traveled from Jonesboro and surrounding areas to celebrate with him. It made him very happy to spend this special day with so many friends and family members.

If Tom were here today blowing out the candles on his 100th birthday cake, what would he wish for?

His wish would probably be for continued success for all Hytrol family members and friends. Dad was always concerned with the well-being of his employees, integration partners and the local community. With the growth Hytrol has had since he’s been gone, I can say beyond the shadow of a doubt that he’d be thrilled with our progress.

About the Author:

As one of Tom Loberg’s five children, Ruth (Loberg) Poston represents the family in Hytrol’s Board of Directors. Residing in Memphis, Tennessee, her hobbies include camping and spending quality time with family and friends.