Orrville native Rev. Willie Hobbs Sr. celebrated his 100th birthday with a party on Jan. 18 and four generation of family members and friends there to honor him.
Hobbs was born on Jan.19, 1925, in Orrville and has been affectionately called TUMP by his family.
He was the civil rights activist of the family. He grew up in an era when Jim Crow laws, the Ku Klux Klan and systemic racism were all too familiar, the family said in a statement.
“Despite the obstacles, Rev. Hobbs was determined to make a difference,” the family said. “Having limited education, he relied on the wisdom and history of his ancestors, whom many were born before the emancipation proclamation. His strong belief, and faith in God, gave him insight, and strength to be fearless.”
In 1946, he moved to Montgomery and joined the civil rights group the order of the Masonic lodge, becoming a 33rd degree mason. He was appointed corresponding secretary over the civil rights, department of the Masonic Lodge.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.