Bobby Jess Huffman

Have you ever known someone who loved something so much they literally went to their grave doing it? Well, such a man was Bob Huffman. Bobby Jess Huffman was born on July 23, 1939, in Teague, TX to Jess B. and Saphronia Evelyn Howell Huffman and passed away on August 30, 2024. He attended First Baptist Church in his hometown of Donie, TX where he was baptized in the lake behind the church as a teenager. He went to school in Donie until the 6th grade and then had to ride the bus or hitchhike back and forth to and from the school in Teague where he graduated in 1957. After high school, he attended Sam Houston State Teachers College (now Sam Houston State University), majoring in business while raising hogs and operating heavy equipment on summers and weekends to pay for school.
After college, he got a job with International Harvester as a traveling sales rep and service rep in the southern coastal plains of Texas. He did this for several years until he got the opportunity to open his own dealership in 1970 in Buffalo, TX just a few miles from Donie. It was in Buffalo that he met the love of his life, Trudy Barnett. They married on June 12, 1971, and lived in Donie until moving to Palestine in 1972. During this time, he supported Trudy through college at Stephen F. Austin State University and in 1976 she graduated, walking across the stage at eight months pregnant. A few weeks later they would welcome their only child, a son, Jason. Bob was the manager for Long Equipment Co., a farm equipment dealership in Palestine from 1972 until the mid-1980's when he bought out the ownership group. He then changed the name to Huffman Equipment and ran this business until 1996. While he succeeded in business, he was not as successful as he could have been, treating customers as he would his friends. They didn't think about going to a tractor shop, they were going to see Bob. In 1996 he sold the business and became a full-time rancher and hay producer.
As much as he loved tractors, being a land and cattle man was his true first love. He was an expert at patching fences, building feeders and could usually fix most pieces of farm equipment, or at least call someone who could. If you put him on a bulldozer, he could make water run uphill. While he took his family on a few vacations when Jason was younger, he never liked to travel much in later years because he always liked being close to his land and his animals. He loved horses and almost always had at least one horse in every season of his life. He was the epitome of a hard worker and workdays with him never ended with a clock or even when supper was ready, but rather, when it was too dark for another project. When he got to where he could no longer do the work himself, he moved into a supervisory role. But at no point was he ever going to sell his cows.
Aside from being a passionate land and cattle man, he was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather to his two grandchildren, Peyton and Justus. He worked hard to instill his love of the land and animals in his grandchildren, especially Justus, who learned to work cows at an early age. In the words of a popular country song, he went out with his boots on. He kept doing what he loved until the day he died, which is something we can all admire.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Jess B. and Saphronia Evelyn (Eva) Huffman; his brothers Jack Huffman, Troy Huffman, and Bill Huffman, sisters-in-law Freda (Freddie) Huffman, Betty Huffman, Jean Huffman; niece Lynn Huffman Rattan, nephew Dennis Huffman and nephew Jay Huffman. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Trudy Huffman; a son, Jason Huffman and wife, Cindy, of Baytown, TX; a granddaughter, Peyton Huffman, of Van, TX; and grandson, Justus Huffman, of Baytown, TX; numerous nieces and nephews and their children and lots of friends.
Friends are warmly welcomed to visit the family from ten o'clock in the morning until the beginning of the service on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at Rhone Funeral Home. A ceremony honoring the life of Bob Huffman will take place at eleven o'clock in the morning on Thursday in the Rhone Memorial Chapel. The service will be officiated by Rev. Craig Harris, Rev. John Goodwin, and Rev. Jason Huffman. Following the service, there will be a reception in the nearby Reflection Room of Rhone Funeral Home where all guests are invited to meet with the family.
Graveside services are to commence at three o'clock in the afternoon, on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at Union Cemetery in Teague, TX.
Those honored to serve as pallbearers are David Huffman, Richard Huffman, Chance Wesson, Justus Huffman, Steve Huffman, and Brian Bell.
Kindly note, for those unable to attend the service, livestreaming will be available via Rhone Funeral Home's Facebook page.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Mark's Methodist Church, 3811 Main St., Baytown, TX 77521.
Funeral services for Bobby Jess Huffman are in care of Rhone Funeral Home, 3900 S. State Highway 19, Palestine, Texas.
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