Bessie Emily Bishop

Reverend Bessie E. Bishop, 94, of Greeley, went to be with the Lord on October 18, 2020 in Greeley, CO. Bessie Emily was born in Republic, Pennsylvania to William & Marie (Mast) Watkins on November 4, 1925. On February 14, 1947 in Enid, Oklahoma, Bessie married the love of her life, Reverend Roy S. Bishop. Bessie graduated from Phillips University, Enid, OK in 1950 with ministry degrees in Religious Education and Religious Music. She later went back to school and received her elementary teaching certification and her Masters in Education from Northern Colorado University, Greeley, CO Bessie served in ministry alongside her husband at First Christian Church, Cleo Springs, OK; First Christian Church, Macksville, KS; Mountair Christian Church, Lakewood, CO; First Christian Church, Brighton, CO; First Christian Church, Goodland, KS; and Woodland Christian Towers, Houston, TX. She was ordained on her 65th birthday and served First Christian Church, Tulia, TX as Senior Minister for eight years. Bessie also taught at North Elementary School Brighton, CO, 1967-68 and Hazeltine Elementary School near Brighton 1969-71; West and Central Elementary Schools in Goodland, KS, 1971-1980; and as a music teacher for the Houston, TX School District, 1981-1985. She was also a private piano, organ, theory, and voice teacher, passing along her love of music to all five children and hundreds of students. She performed with many local music organizations and even sang "Were You There?” for hundreds gathered at the tomb at Golgotha in Israel in 1974. Through all of these, Bessie touched hundreds of lives. Many will remember her for her outstanding music programs and choirs, or her meticulous organization of programs in the church, or her thought-provoking sermons, or her beautiful, opera-trained, coloratura soprano voice, or how much she cared for all her 3rd and 4th grade students. Although she out-lived most of her contemporary relatives and friends, we who are still here will greatly miss her presence in our lives. Bessie is survived by her children: Bonnie (Tim) Casseday, Tom (Anna) Bishop, Sue Bishop, Randy Bishop, and Paula (Micheal) Pociecha; 10 grandchildren, including Andrew Bishop and Cambrie Bishop Guerrero- Wacker (Cristian) who she helped raise; 17 great-grandchildren; and a large, loving, extended family. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, 8 siblings, and her oldest great grandson. A Celebration of Life will be at 1:00pm on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at First Christian Church, at 2230 13th St, Greeley, CO 80631 (Masks are required) In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be given in memorium to The American Bible Society or First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Greeley, CO where she was a member and elder and served in various leadership roles. To leave condolences for Bessie’s family, or to share your own memories, visit NCCcremation.com