Dates
As a child and servant of Almighty God through faith in Jesus Christ, Rev. Bob Schmeltekopf passed from this life and entered into the presence of His Lord on August 1, 2026.
Robert Lee was born the middle of five children to Emil and Ruth Schmeltekopf on Aug.19, 1936, in Kyle, Texas. He grew up on a row crop and dairy farm and learned early the ways of the Christian life from his godly parents and family.
With three brothers and one sister, and many chores to be regularly done, Robert grew up knowing the value of assigned tasks and the benefits of working together.
Throughout his early years, organized sports was one of the primary outlets of self-expression and creativity. Robert excelled as a high school athlete and played in the All-star six-man football game in San Angelo in the summer of 1954. He went to Howard Payne University on a basketball scholarship later that same year.
But the singular focus of Robert's life from early on was his sense that God had a plan and purpose for his life. He was driven by the belief that understanding and doing the will of God would be his highest achievement. His hobbies were sports, traveling and home repair jobs.
During his second year at HPU, one of his Bible professors began referring to Robert as Bob, and the nickname immediately stuck. Throughout the rest of his life, both personally and professionally, he was known as Bob.
Bob married the love of his life, Bettye Allen, on Sept 1, 1956, and to their union were born three wonderful daughters, Kathy, Karen and Kela. He loved all of his family dearly.
Bob was graduated from the University of Houston with a BS degree, Southwestern Baptist Seminary with an MDiv Degree, and did DMin studies at San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Bob's pastoral career spread over sixty years. He pastored Texas churches in Terrell, Plainview, Fort Stockton, San Marcos, and Kerrville. He also pastored a church in Costa Mesa, California and one during his retirement years in London, Texas.
Almost twenty years of Bob's ministry was spent in serving Baptist associational work. He was the Executive Director of San Antonio Baptist Association and also led the association of Baptist churches throughout a nine-county area in the Texas Hill Country. During his retirement years, Bob also served as interim pastor of five different Churches.
Bob is preceded in death by his wife, Bettye; as well as his parents, Emil and Ruth Schaub Schmltekopf, three brothers, James, Edward and Donald Schmeltekopf, and sister, Mary Schmeltekopf Pryal; and by his son-in-law, Neil Snipes.
He is survived by his three daughters: Kathy Jones and husband Mike, Karen Schmeltekopf, Kela Sumrall and husband Rick; grandchildren Jessica Jones and wife Ezinne, Cameron Jones and wife Heather, Holland Sumrall and Zachary Sumrall; and great-grandchildren Beckett and Jack Jones.
Services are pending at this time.