A distinguished Duluth auctioneer died unexpectedly in his home on Wednesday.
Brent Loberg worked as an auctioneer for nearly 40 years around the Northland. He was 62.
"He was very well-known around town," said Gary Lepisto, an auctioneer at Sellers Auction in Duluth. "This was a surprise. Brent will definitely be missed."
Loberg was born on Jan. 3, 1951, in Duluth to Edwin and June Loberg. He graduated from Denfeld High School in 1969 and married Carlotta Trotta on Nov. 21, 1970, at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Duluth. He also attended and graduated from the Missouri School of Auctioneering.
Loberg, licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin, was an auctioneer at Sellers Auction. He was known to auction off unusual items.
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In a September 2002 auction, Loberg took bids on everything from airport lounge menus to snowplows and tires on the floor of Pioneer Hall at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
In October 2010, he auctioned four paddles apparently from a life raft of the Edmund Fitzgerald; an embroidered ship blanket that purportedly belonged to a cook who had to sit out the ore boat's final voyage because of a fortuitous illness, and several clips and photos documenting the vessel's tragic demise on Nov. 10, 1975.
In addition to auctioning, he and his wife owned and operated Wolff's Flower Shop.
Loberg was a member of the Masons, Scottish Rite, the Order of Jesters, West Duluth Men's Business Club Association, the Sunset League Gold Club and the Lions Club. He also donated his services to multiple nonprofit organizations leading benefit auctions.
"He was a pretty generous guy, and he did lots of charity work," Lepisto said.
