As Don Wallace was on his way to Cuba Baptist Church to speak as a Gideon one Sunday morning in October 2015, he experienced a traffic challenge. And in a town with a population of about 300, it was unexpected.
Wallace had come to a stop at a four-way intersection in the residential area where the church was nestled. But before he could go, a man on a motorized scooter came from another street and breezed through the intersection, also on his way to the church.
“He didn’t even stop, like he owned the road,” Wallace recalled with a laugh.
The man was 92-year-old Lamar Hardin and as the oldest member of the Bigbee Baptist Association church, he sets the bar high for his fellow members.
Hardin said, “I’ve had some people that tell me they didn’t want to go to church one morning and then they see me go in that scooter and they say, ‘Well that doesn’t give me an excuse not to go.’
“But it [doesn’t] take me but just a few minutes to get there because I can go faster than most people,” he said with a chuckle.
Not even the weather keeps Hardin’s wheels from rolling.
Cuba Baptist Pastor Mike McKee said, “If it’s raining he has a big umbrella and if it’s really cold he has his gloves and a blanket.
“I remember when I first came to Cuba Baptist and saw him coming down the road on his scooter, I thought, ‘Now that is a dedicated church member.’”
“Dedication” is a good word to describe Hardin, as he has exemplified commitment and steadfastness in all areas of his life. A World War II veteran, Hardin was a draftsman for Sumter County for 38 years and the Cuba town clerk for 43 years. He’s been a member of Cuba Baptist for about 70 years and was church clerk for 28 years. And he and his wife, Margaret, have been married 71 years.
Hardin also taught the men’s Sunday School class and was a longtime deacon and member of the finance committee at Cuba Baptist.
McKee said, “His wisdom and money management have been a blessing to the church for many years. He’s also a wealth of wisdom on just about anything you want to talk about.”
Hardin was saved as a 10 year old at a revival in Mississippi and has been in church ever since, leading his three children, five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren by example. And he does the same for his church family, McKee said.
“He’s an inspiration to others to be faithful to the church when the doors are open. … I know it’s an inspiration to me to see him come (up the road).”
While he likes being an encouragement to others, Hardin goes to church to be inspired, especially through the men’s Sunday School class, he said.
“We have about 20 men in our Sunday School class so I just enjoy them and the questions (that are discussed) give you a spiritual uplift. … It just kind of makes you feel good with worship.”
Wallace, the Gideon who saw Hardin riding down the road, said Hardin reminded him of his own grandmother, 95-year-old Velma Sebring who taught Sunday School for 70 years.
“You’re never too old to serve and … [Hardin and Sebring] are two prime examples of that,” Wallace said.
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