‘I’ve never met two people more in love’ | Family, friends remember couple who died in Sevier County fire together

What This Story Is About

• A Wears Valley couple, Bobby and Donna Schultz, died after a house fire on Willow Tree Road early Sunday morning. They are being remembered by friends and family as ‘children at heart’ and devout members of their local church, where they were greatly involved in.

Why It Matters

• They celebrated 21 years of marriage together this year, and loved traveling the world together and going out on dates, friends and family say.

What Happens Next

• The cause of the Sevier County fire still remains under investigation, and funeral arrangements for the couple have not yet been announced.

For Context

• Concerns were raised when the couple didn’t show up for church on Sunday morning. Their family got the call that there had been a fire shortly after.
• Updates are expected to be posted on the Wears Valley Methodist Church Facebook page.

SEVIER CO., Tenn. (WVLT) - A Wears Valley couple is being remembered by friends and family with an outpour of love after the two died in a house fire early Sunday morning.

Donna Shultz, 76, and Bobby Shultz, 74, regularly attended their local church every Sunday, and when they weren’t seen at the most recent morning service, one family member said that they received word about the fire shortly after.

According to their eldest grand daughter, Kendra Kay Bonilla, the Shultz were full of life and love.

“They were children at heart, no matter what age they reached. They loved traveling the world together and going out on dates. They went to the beach, on cruises and to museums like Hershey’s and Andy Griffith museums,” Bonilla says.

Bonilla, along with others from the community, note just how important their church and community was to them.

“Family and church meant absolutely everything to them. Their love for each other stayed fresh, like everyday was the first day, again and again. They always gave more than they ever received and always put themselves last,” she says.

The Shultz, who were both widowed prior to meeting, crossed paths in 2004 and got married in June of 2005. This year would have marked their 21st anniversary.

“I’ve never met two people more in love than them,” Bonilla said.

Bonilla says that Bobby Shultz was in the United States Army from 1969 to 1992, and Donna served as a Sunday school teacher within the church. They were also huge Tennessee Volunteer fans, she says.

A close friend of the Shultz, Thomas Rimmer, says that the couple acted as second parents to him.

“Donna and Bobby were like second parents to me. I’ve adopted them as family because they always made you feel like family. The first time I met them and I would always be taking the bear hat he [Bobby] wore to the football or basketball games, and for my birthday two years ago, they got me a bear hat just like the one he always wore,” Rimmer said.

“...Even if you were having a bad day they could make anyone’s day better just by doing the swing with each other.”

Donna Maples, another friend of the Shultz, says that the news of their passing shocked her, as she’s known the couple for many years.

“I’ve known Bobby and Donna Shultz for several years... We have vacation together and we traveled to different types of sports going on at Sevier County High School. They loved everyone, and enjoyed the time with the players... They never met a stranger,” Maples said.

Funeral announcements have not yet been released for Bobby or Donna. Updates on their service information are in progress.

The cause of the fire still remains under investigation.