Bobby "Poppa Bear" Shoults of Marshall passed away Friday, November 17, 2017 from a sudden illness at Christus Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview, TX. Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 21, 2017 from 6-8pm at Downs Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 22, 2017 in the chapel of Downs Funeral Home at 10:00am with Dan Manuel and Robbie Shoults officiating. Burial will follow in the Bear Creek Cemetery in Bear Bottom, TX where Bobby will be the first family member to be buried there, like the leader he always was.

Bobby Shoults was born in Bear Bottom in the Shoults family home that he resided in his entire life on February 24, 1938. He was one of three children born to Hick and Nellie Shoults.

Bobby began working at the age of five on the family farm when his father began raising turkeys in their backyard as supplemental income to his cotton and corn production. That family farm was later known as Shoults & Son Poultry Farm. He graduated high school and following that he attended school at Texas A & M University.

Bobby worked many hours on the farm alongside his dad, but he still found time to go to church every Sunday. There at the South Washington Church of Christ Bobby met the love of his life, Brenda Lou Pollard. Bobby and Brenda were married September 26, 1959 in Marshall. Later that year Bobby left home to serve our country in the United States Army, and was stationed at Fort Polk, where he served as a cook in the mess hall. Bobby returned to his bride on the homestead where he and Brenda welcomed their first son, Robbie. Four years later, they welcomed another boy, Eddie.

As Bobby's family grew, so did the family business. Bobby began raising hogs, added a dairy farm, and added a feed mill to the operation. This was only the beginning. With the help of his father, Bobby grew the family business to what it is today. They began smoking turkeys and hams in the late 50's and selling them nationwide, coast to coast. Families nationwide became dependent on the Shoults family to provide their holiday turkeys and hams as a tradition every year. Soon the family renamed the business to Bear Creek Smokehouse where Bobby expanded the product line to include meats, such as bacon and sausage to name a few. The business was still very seasonal; therefore Bobby continued to work hard at finding ways to improve the sustainability throughout the year. Bobby found a way to make ends meet year round, and the answer was salt pork. Bear Creek Smokehouse took off and now supplies salt pork to over 2,000 retail outlets and still ships turkeys, hams, and other meats nationwide on a daily basis. Because of Bobby's hard work, Bear Creek Smokehouse now employs around 50 people including Bobby's son and grandson, Robbie and Hunter, to whom he mentored throughout their lives so that one day they would be able to continue the family legacy that his father started in 1943.

Although Bobby spent many hours at the Smokehouse working day in and day out, he found time to do the things he enjoyed like hunting and fishing. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved taking hunting trips with friends from the community and later with his son and grandson on a yearly basis. Bobby also spent a lot of time in his garden where he grew enough vegetables to hand out to neighbors and friends.

Bobby was preceded in death by his parents, Hick and Nellie Shoults; and his son, Edward Pollard Shoults. He is survived by his loving wife, Brenda, and their son, Robbie and wife, Tracy; his grandchildren, Erin and husband, Jack Marino of Austin, Krysta and husband, Matt Coleman of Marshall, Hunter and wife, Stacia Shoults of Marshall, Samantha, Shae, and Sadie of Marshall; his great-grandchildren, Cooper Shoults, Barrett "Bulldozer" Shoults, and Drew Coleman; his sisters, Nancy and husband, Charlie Palmer, and Becky Bibb. Bobby is also survived by the Salgado family of Marshall along with many nieces, nephews, and three sisters-in-law (whom he deemed as the "zoo") that he loved dearly.

Serving as pallbearers will be Mark Chapman, Matt Coleman, Garry Dorsey, Jack Marino, Todd Overhultz, Brandon Smith, Steve Smith, and Sonny Watson. Honorary pallbearers will be Richard "Coach" Smith, Sherrod Bibb, Dr. Chuck Seecrest, Dr. Carl Ernest, Jerry Ray, Rick Fitzgerald, Bob Rawson, Barrett Shoults, and Charlie Palmer.

Among his many accomplishments professional and personal, Bobby will be remembered as one of kind character and a family man. With a humble heart, he was very generous and always gave to those he loved. He was loved by all. Bobby will also be remembered for the way he told stories and for his contagious laugh. The world is a better place because of Bobby Shoults as he touched the lives of many at work, in the community, at church, and within his own family.

The Shoults family wants to send a special thank you to the numerous doctors and nurses that helped them through this sudden and heartbreaking journey.