Bill Flores: “Today, I rise to honor Reverend Wilbert Austin of Waco, Texas, who passed away on June 19, 2017. Wilbert grew up poor in…”

“Today, I rise to honor Reverend Wilbert Austin of Waco, Texas, who passed away on June 19, 2017. Wilbert grew up poor in a small shack in the southern part of Waco in a racially segregated area called Sandtown. His father was a day laborer who picked cotton for a living, while his mother was a laundress and cafe worker. Wilbert used to play by the old rendering plant that was next to the cemetery in Sandtown. Even in their poverty, Wilbert's parents were able to raise five children. His meager upbringing is something that would shape him for the rest of his life and molded him into a great servant. During his life, Wilbert worked many jobs, including working for a glass bottle manufacturer, Owens-Illinois, and as a leader of the local chapter of the NAACP. During his time at the NAACP, he was known for advocating for civil rights in Waco. Always seeking to make Waco a better place, he would often make sure that children and families had a safe area to play and enjoy by keeping out drug dealers, doing so on a face-to-face basis, if needed. Wilbert was a passionate advocate for his Christian faith and decided to share his faith in the pulpit. He became a pastor of Moody's Peaceful Rest Baptist Church, where he would serve for 38 years. He was known to his congregation and around Waco as someone with a servant's heart. Wilbert would mow lawns for the elderly and collect gift cards at Christmas to distribute to needy families.…”