Bobby Gene Lofton


INDIANOLA - Bobby Gene Lofton died Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008, at his home in Indianola. He was 73.

Mr. Lofton was born in Skene, Miss. Before moving to Indianola in 1975, he lived in Vicksburg for more than 20 years and was employed at the Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Mr. Lofton was one of the first licensed bow hunters in Mississippi. He owned and operated Lofton Longbows with his wife and had been involved with the crafting of archery equipment for more than 50 years. For the last 17 years, an annual tournament named in his honor has been held in Grenada by the Mississippi Traditional Archery Association.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jessie Lee and Bertha Morgan Lofton; three brothers, J.B. Lofton, James C. Lofton and James Lofton; and two sisters, Edmonia Gibson and Edna Rickles.

He is survived by his wife, Lou Lofton of Indianola; three sons, Thomas Lofton of Sarasota, Fla., Kenneth Lofton of Excel, Ala., and Martin Lofton of Indianola; four daughters, Sandra Hausaman of Tampa, Fla., Pamela Lick of Jackson, Regina Gallaugher of Portland, Texas, and Stephanie Guzman of Indianola; one stepson, Wayne Bell of Leland; 15 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Mortimer Funeral Home in Indianola. Burial will follow at Drew Cemetery in Drew. Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at the funeral home and Thursday from noon until the service.

Hat off to the man.

I grew up in Indianola and remember the Loftons kindly. My dad did their legal work for years and they were always very generous to the traditional archery community in the state. I first remember meeting Bobby in the mid seventies at small local archery shoot. He was shooting his own compound he MADE! Bobby was a genius and could make anything. He later went on to make the very affordable Choctaw Chief longbows that so many budding archers around the mid south bought one time or another. my prayers to Lou and her family.

Mr. Bobby will be missed.    My thoughts and prayers are out.  

My first trad bow was a Lofton longbow.

What a great man he will be missed.I have two of his bows. Got to meet him and his wife in 98.Prayers on the way.

A really good man.Willing to help in any way he could.He will definately be missed.Prayes sent .Tim Mullins

I met Mr. Lofton at his shoot in '97 I reckon, based upon what joemarty said.  I know it was well before you went down and bought all that boo and stuff from him.  Might have been '96 even.  Seemed like a real nice fellow, generous and trusting.

I still have a sleeved takedown lownbow I bought from him that day.  He hand crafted the sleeves using steel from galvanized fence posts.  I loved his little string making cart, had 1# spools rigged to supply stands in sets of colors.  Very clever and could whip up a flemish string in a flash.  I think he had a real interest in seeing traditional archery grow.  And I think that was part of his business plan, to make affordable, dependable good quality longbows, at the time about 1/2 the price of the general market.

May he rest in Peace.

Thanks for posting.

I enjoyed talking with Bobby at the Lofton shoots in past years. Seemed to be a fine fellow, and he had a large influence on many archers.

I used to purchase bows for my trad shop years ago from Bobby...he was a grand ol' man of traditional bowhunting.

Never got to hunt with him but spent a lot of time talking with him at Howard Hill shoots and over the phone...and I think I met him over at Billy Ellis' place once.

Prayers for his family from Georgia.

Ray

Prayers for the family. Fine man and fine bows. He will be missed.

Bobby made a bow that anyone could afford. He wanted as many shooting as possible. I have been to his home many times to get someone started. God blessed him.

The Lofton Classic was a awesome event, I hope it is continued in his tradition. R.I.P. Bobby

He will be missed.  Bobby was a great individual in my opinion.  He made my youngest daughter a longbow 18 years ago and she still shoots it.

Prayers for the family.

Twenty years ago I bought a longbow from Bobby and then 3 others later.....he made bows that the everyday man could afford....Hats off to him for what he did for Traditional Archery.  He will be missed.

I remember him telling me about a mule deer he shot out west here about 18 years ago....a forked horn if I remember right.  Seems that he had attended a bowshoot the previous week and took honors on the long target money shoot (about 100 yards) and then went hunting for mulies the next week in Colorado.  He saw the mulie buck, which he said looked like the same distance as the money shot from the week before.  He aimed at the buck just like he did on the target previously,  and centered the buck in the lungs which then only walked 20 yards before falling over......he said it was some luck and some skill....lol.  A hundred yard shot and into the lungs of a deer.....those were the days.

My thought's and prayers to Mr Lofton's family.

I enjoyed our conversations at Grenada.

May he find his hunts wild and great in the summerlands.
Blessed be his family.
And thanks for laying the foundation for us  youngsters.  
D-

Im really sorry to hear about Bobby Loften What a nice man. He built me some nice rare bows. I dont know how he built them in real high poundage 100# 105# 135# 150# bows. My prayers sent to his familly. Marlon