Ben Hooper was born in Newport, Tennessee in 1870 He was born out of wedlock , to Sarah Wade. As a result, He had a tough childhood, being taunted by others. In his early school years , his Grandfather died, and his mother was forced to place Ben in an Orphanage in Knoxville Tenn. At Age Nine, He was adopted by Dr. L H Hooper, and had to move back near his Newport home. At age 12, he recalls going to Church to hear the new Baptist Preacher. Here pick up the narrative, “I would go in late and slip out early. But one day the preacher said the Benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. I could feel every eye in the church on Me. Just about the time I got to the door, I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me. ‘who are you, son? Whose boy are you?’ But as he looked down at me, studying my face, He began to smile a big smile of recognition. ‘ Wait a Minute’ he said, ‘I know who you are. I see the family resemblance. You are a son of God.’ With that he slapped me across the rump and said, ‘Boy you’re got a great inheritance. Go and Claim it.’ “ Years later Ben Hooper would write about that event and add “That was the most
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