James Harold Bullard

A gathering of family and friends for James “Catfish” Harold Bullard, 79, a lifelong resident of Edgewood, is scheduled for 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 9, 2020, at Goose Lake.  Viewing will be held one hour prior to service time and a fish fry luncheon will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, please bring a side dish for the luncheon.

Directions to Goose Lake:  Take FM 47 North, look for the Bullard sign on the right side of the road.  It is 9.4 miles north of town, before Tawakoni Dam.  Please bring your chairs for the luncheon.

James passed away May 6, 2020, at his home overlooking Goose Lake.

James “Catfish” Bullard always said, “If I die today, it’s been a hell of a ride”.

He got the name Catfish hung on him when he was honorably discharged from the U. S.  Navy.  He then decided to buy a tent and move into his new home on the shores of Lake Tawakoni.

For two years he caught and sold fish to support himself. On Saturdays, he would take his catch to south town in Wills Point to sell them. The people around town started calling him “the catfish man”; thus, the legendary name “Catfish” was born.

During this time, he met a pretty, young girl named Mary.  After a little convincing and courting, he married the love of his life.  They began their life together and to this union four children were born; Mandy, Chris, Nathan, and Isaac.  During this time, he honed his poker skills, engaged in truck farming, and moved produce from the fields of East Texas to Kansas City, MO.  During this time, Daddy said this was one of the best times of his life.

As we got older, there were several businesses that Daddy was involved in…....grocery stores, arcades, farming, gambling, produce stands, trucking, restaurants, fireworks, “banking”, and home construction.  He employed hundreds of people during those years that loved and respected him.  From the stores, to the craps games, to the poker rooms, to the firework stands that he owned and ran, he always had fun and enjoyed life.  He said it was always one of the best times of his life.

Since retirement, Daddy has always enjoyed watching his kids run different businesses and loved coaching them from the sideline. He enjoyed every stage in his 10 grandchildren’s lives.  This is when his name changed from Catfish to PawPaw. He said it was always one of the best times of his life.

Daddy came to know Jesus as a young boy when he attended Elwood Baptist Church with his family. He always told a story about being baptized in a stock pond on the Board Elwood Road. He grew up on Goose Lake Hereford Ranch with his sister, Linda, and his neighbors, the Foster brothers.  He always had a lot of pets, including snakes, dogs, coons, a skunk, and even a monkey named Pewee.  He grew up fishing and hunting the Sabine River bottom. When he graduated from Wills Point High School, he owned a 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible that he continued to talk about his entire life.  He always said that was one of the best times of his life.

Daddy has seen and done more things in his lifetime than most people in this old world will ever experience. There is no one in this world that loved his family and friends more than he did.  So, when he, James “Catfish” Bullard (a.k.a. Pawpaw), said, “if I die today, it’s been a hell of a ride”.  I really think he was right!

He is preceded in death by his parents, Esta Faye and J.C. Bullard, as well as a grandson, Jesse James Bullard.

James is survived by his children, Mary Amanda Pool and husband Gary, James Christopher Bullard and wife Kim, Nathan R.C. Bullard and wife Julia, Isaac Noel Bullard, all of Edgewood; sister, Linda Ford and husband Bill of Wills Point; grandchildren, Mary Katherine, Clara Anne, Adam James, Lyla Faye, Blair Elaine, Lacey Gayle, Ruby Mae, Abby Lane, and Lily Ann; and many other relatives and friends.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James Harold Bullard, please visit our floral store.