Bobby Breeden

Bobby Ray Breeden passed away on Sunday, March 8th at the age of 91. He was born on January 1, 1929, to Ollie and Beulah (Minor) Breeden in West Point, Texas.

As a kid, he grew up hunting and fishing along the banks of the Colorado River during the Great Depression. He also got into a lot of mischief attaching ‘parachutes to chickens’ to see if they could fly.

He graduated from Smithville High School in 1941. He was an outstanding baseball pitcher who was drafted to play professional baseball by Kansas City. He went to Kansas City but returned home to take care of his mother who was ill. He was drafted and served in the US Army in the Korean War.

During his time in Korea, he contracted hemorrhagic fever and spent a total of 135 days in various hospitals in Korea, Japan, Hawaii, California, and Texas before being honorably discharged.

He married Waldine Mary Dehnel on December 31, 1963. They were together for over 57 years. He worked for Shell Oil in Houston and later for the MKT and Union Pacific Railroads until he retired in 1993.

Bobby loved hunting, fishing, barbecuing, baseball, dogs, cats and especially gardening. He loved to garden and gave much of what he grew away to friends and family. He loved mowing ‘his yard’ because he did it right. He couldn’t sit still and always needed to be doing something.

He was especially fond of his grandchildren Valerie and James (JW). He loved making JW rootbeer floats because according to JW only PaPa could make them right. He spoiled Valerie with trips to Dairy Queen to get chicken tenders after school.

Bobby adored his great-grandchildren Riley and Kennedy, spoiling them with as many gummy bears and slurpees as they wanted.

He is survived by his loving wife Waldine Mary Breeden; three children, son Charles and wife Dinah Breeden, daughter Dorothy Breeden, son Brian Breeden. Two grandchildren; grandson James and wife Amanda Breeden, granddaughter Valerie Breeden; two great-grandchildren, Riley and Kennedy Breeden, and nephew Robert Davis.

He was preceded in death by his parents Ollie and Beulah Breeden, his sister Dorothy Inez Breeden Davis and granddaughter Ashley Breeden.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Smithville Public Library or the local animal shelter of your choice.