Mike Hibbs (seated in red jacket) joined his former teammates for a reunion in 2010.
The ever-increasing number of Cubs fans appealing for a World Series Championship from the seats much closer to the heavenly throne has got to start making a difference at Wrigley Field – it just has to.
My first idea for a headline for this story was: Vinton Today loses a great fan.
And we did, on Sunday, when Mike Hibbs died at age 72. His funeral has been set for 11 a.m. Friday, at Blessed Hope Church in Vinton.
Mike and Carolyn Hibbs were frequent readers of our website, and often called us with story ideas.
But long before Mike Hibbs became a fan of Vinton Today, as one of our readers and even one of the very first advertisers, Mike was a Vinton Viking and Chicago Cubs fan.
Mike was a high school athlete year-round, and in 1958, he set a school record in the 120 high hurdles event that stood for 16 years. He also played football, basketball and baseball.
Those who don't know Mike's history may be wondering, “How? He's in a wheelchair.” On Oct. 24, 1958, Mike suffered a spinal cord injury in a football game vs. Monticello. He never walked again.
Yet, Mike didn't let the wheelchair limit his opportunities. He overcame the handicap to earn a bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Illinois before teaching math for a quarter century at the Iowa Braille School, and for one year at Tilford Middle School.
Mike married his wife, Carolyn, 17 years ago. The sight of this couple – a man in a wheelchair with a blind wife – making their way around the community, and being active in church, the Kiwanis Club (Carolyn was a frequent Pancake Day sales champion) and other causes. They often attended Viking athletic events.
And, yes, Mike was a loyal Chicago Cubs fan.
The last time we talked, he joked about how the Cubs had whipped my team, the Cardinals. For years, the Hibbs have had light blue flags with the letters “L” and “W” on them, and they would place the flag outside their garage door to announce whether or not their beloved Cubs had won that day.
Mike joined the Viking Hall of Fame in 1995; his school defined his legacy in these words:
He loved sports and worked hard at improving the skills needed to excel in each of them. He was part of a class that demonstrated real team effort and whose athletic abilities led them to successful seasons each year...he then applied the same dedication and work ethic he had used in sports to his recovery, his education and his profession.
He certainly did.
And when Mike's former teammates gathered to celebrate the 50th reunion of their class and their historic football season, they gathered at: Mike's place.
And those of us who were fortunate enough to know Mike saw first-hand the impact of his determination, and the way our community benefited because even though Mike had long ago lost his ability to walk, he refused to let any disability keep him from serving the town and teams he loved.
And as for the Cubs, with Mike now making his appeals for divine intervention from a place where he can again walk, it's got to be about time for the Cubs to end their season with that blue "W" flying over Wrigley Field. Even a Cardinals fan like me has to agree.
See stories about Mike and Caroline from Vinton Today's archives below:
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