Dorothy Elizabeth Gresham Bishop, age 99, a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, fisherwoman, official booty pincher, and friend to so many people, left this Earth Friday , May 19, 2023, 128 days before her 100th Birthday.
Dorothy, or Dot as she was known to so many, was born September 24, 1923 in Ashland, MS to Marvin and Elizabeth Johnson Gresham. She grew up on a farm with her 5 brothers and 2 sisters whom she loved dearly. She met her husband James when he came to her family’s farm and she squirted milk on him from a cow she was milking. In her early years she started her career as a Rosie Riveter doing her part at home to help out during the war.
She was married to James for 28 years until the Lord called him home. In that time they built a beautiful life with three amazing children in Memphis, TN. When you walked into her home, you were family and she made you feel loved, wanted, appreciated, and so much more. She hugged and patted everyone who walked through her doors booty because she said she was toughening them up. In reality, she was short and so her hands fell on most peoples rear ends in a hug. If you walked through her door it was certain that she was going to feed you. No one ever went hungry sitting around her table.
She was an avid fisherwoman! She spent as much free time as possible on the bank of a lake or in a boat casting her reel into the water. She loved fishing with anyone that would go with her and she would defiantly tell you that you were doing it wrong. She spent countless hours in a boat or on a bank with her Brother Ed and Sister Rosie. Her house and her car always smelled like dead fish and liver.
She might have been tiny but she was definitely mighty and a larger than life character. She took playing cards very seriously and would whoop and holler with joy when she won. She loved playing games and washers was a favorite with her family where she would yell out Ringy Dingy Do when it went in. If you were one of her favorites she had a nickname for you and she always addressed you with it and a smile.
She is survived by her Daughter Elizabeth Ann McGinnis (Dwight), Sons James Edmond Bishop Jr. (Bevelyn), and Timothy Wayne Bishop (Gail), 5 Grandchildren and their loving spouses she considered to be her own, 17 Great Grandchildren, and 2 Great-Great Grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband James Edmond Bishop Sr. and Grandson Richard Hughes III (Trey).
The last 10 years of Dorothy’s life was extremely hard. She was a fiercely independent woman living on her own for almost 35 years until she had a stroke before turning 90 that paralyzed her on one side of her body leaving her wheelchair bound. While it may have affected her body it did not affect her personality. She was still as ornery and feisty as ever. Constantly picking on her visitors with her good hand and sucking on a peanut butter cup.
Kings Sons and Daughters is where she spent the last 5 years of her life and she was well loved on by the staff there. The family is eternally grateful for all the love that Dorothy received as she waited to join her loved ones that have already left this World.
A Graveside service will be held in New Albany MS at Glenfield Memorial Park on Friday, May 26th at 2 pm.
