Ben Hinton is one of our newer members. He came to Allisonville when United Methodist Church of the Saviour closed. He had been a member there for 41.5 years.
Ben was born in Lima Memorial Hospital in Lima, Ohio. He lived in Lima until he was seven and then in upstate New York until he was nine; then back to Lima until he moved to Indianapolis at the age of 11. He had two half brothers on his father’s side, Herb and John; but was his mother’s only child.
He attended North Central High School for a year during which he worked as a DJ at the J. Everett Light Career Center. He has a huge collection of records and DJ equipment and would love to see ACC sponsor a sock hop or other dance when we can all get back together again. After his year at North Central, Ben transferred to Lebanon High School for the remainder of his high school years.
Ben worked for AT&T Western Electric for 15.5 years – picking, packing, and loading. He is single and lives with his cat Buffy who is very important to him.
Ben has had many physical problems in his lifetime but continues to work to overcome them all:.
- He had been a diabetic for over 41 years, but had a pancreatic transplant* in 2008 which changed this aspect of his life for the better .
- He’s had pneumonia three times.
- He’s had heart surgery because fluid was flooding his heart.
- His heart has stopped three times, and he’s been pronounced dead.
- Currently, his kidneys are failing and he is waiting for information on his next step.
In spite of all his challenges, Ben has worked with the mentally challenged since he was a teenager. He’s worked with the homeless, with Special Olympics, and with Habitat for Humanity. At ACC, he has already been involved as an overnight host for IHN. While at church of the Saviour, he worked on Buildings and Grounds with his long time friend Bob Hessong, cutting up trees and brush on the property. (Bob and Kathy Hessong have been good friends of his for many, many years.) Ben is really good with a chain saw. He was also in charge of the Fall Bonfire every year at Church of the Saviour.
Ben loves parties, old TV shows like Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle, old movies, music, and sports. He was a charter member of a branch of the Kiwanis Club and edited their newsletter.
He definitely has a servant’s heart and looks forward to getting more and more involved with Allisonville Christian Church. When you see him , be sure to say hello and get to know him.
*
Pancreas transplantation is a type of surgery in which you receive a healthy donor pancreas. A pancreas transplant is a choice for some people with type 1 diabetes.
