Army veteran and longtime farmer/meat cutter Ralph G. Bishop, 87, of Great Falls, died of natural causes Tuesday at Peace Hospice.
Survivors are his wife of 60 years, Ida (Seidler) Bishop as well as children, grandchildren.and great-grandchildren, 2 brothers, and a sister.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lillian Bishop; his brother Argyle; and sisters Violet Williams and Dorothy Rouns.
Ralph Gordon Bishop was born June 22, 1921, at the Bishop family farm, 20 miles east of Brady and attended North Faris Elementary School. While attending high school in Conrad, he boarded with the Selanskys, who taught him the meat-cutting business. He graduated from high school in 1939.
In 1940, at age 19, he took over managing the meat processing and marketing of the Valier Co-op Grocery in Valier. He was proud to have been able to convert the meat department into a prosperous part of the Co-op.
He joined the Army in 1942, and while stationed in Illinois, he took basic engineering classes at a local college before being shipped overseas. His tour of duty as a staff sergeant took him through the Rhineland of central Europe and the Pacific Theater. He always said that his Army experiences were worth a million bucks, but he wouldn't take a million bucks to do it again.
He married Ida Seidler, from just down the coulee, in 1948, and they built a new farmstead just a couple of miles from where they both grew up. They also ran a meat-cutting business there for many years. Ralph was active in Farmers Union, was a 4-H leader, a member and deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Conrad, and served on the board of directors of the Sun River Electric Co-op and Montana Association of Utilities for more than 25 years.
Ralph and Ida retired from the farm in 1988, and moved to Great Falls so they could be closer to their retired friends, and do a little dancing and traveling. Ralph had also discovered golfing at about this time. He also enjoyed bowling on a local league, Wednesdays at the Great Falls Livestock Auction, and playing pinochle with the grandkids.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Nov. 20, 2008
Survivors are his wife of 60 years, Ida (Seidler) Bishop as well as children, grandchildren.and great-grandchildren, 2 brothers, and a sister.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lillian Bishop; his brother Argyle; and sisters Violet Williams and Dorothy Rouns.
Ralph Gordon Bishop was born June 22, 1921, at the Bishop family farm, 20 miles east of Brady and attended North Faris Elementary School. While attending high school in Conrad, he boarded with the Selanskys, who taught him the meat-cutting business. He graduated from high school in 1939.
In 1940, at age 19, he took over managing the meat processing and marketing of the Valier Co-op Grocery in Valier. He was proud to have been able to convert the meat department into a prosperous part of the Co-op.
He joined the Army in 1942, and while stationed in Illinois, he took basic engineering classes at a local college before being shipped overseas. His tour of duty as a staff sergeant took him through the Rhineland of central Europe and the Pacific Theater. He always said that his Army experiences were worth a million bucks, but he wouldn't take a million bucks to do it again.
He married Ida Seidler, from just down the coulee, in 1948, and they built a new farmstead just a couple of miles from where they both grew up. They also ran a meat-cutting business there for many years. Ralph was active in Farmers Union, was a 4-H leader, a member and deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Conrad, and served on the board of directors of the Sun River Electric Co-op and Montana Association of Utilities for more than 25 years.
Ralph and Ida retired from the farm in 1988, and moved to Great Falls so they could be closer to their retired friends, and do a little dancing and traveling. Ralph had also discovered golfing at about this time. He also enjoyed bowling on a local league, Wednesdays at the Great Falls Livestock Auction, and playing pinochle with the grandkids.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Nov. 20, 2008
Army veteran and longtime farmer/meat cutter Ralph G. Bishop, 87, of Great Falls, died of natural causes Tuesday at Peace Hospice.
Survivors are his wife of 60 years, Ida (Seidler) Bishop as well as children, grandchildren.and great-grandchildren, 2 brothers, and a sister.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lillian Bishop; his brother Argyle; and sisters Violet Williams and Dorothy Rouns.
Ralph Gordon Bishop was born June 22, 1921, at the Bishop family farm, 20 miles east of Brady and attended North Faris Elementary School. While attending high school in Conrad, he boarded with the Selanskys, who taught him the meat-cutting business. He graduated from high school in 1939.
In 1940, at age 19, he took over managing the meat processing and marketing of the Valier Co-op Grocery in Valier. He was proud to have been able to convert the meat department into a prosperous part of the Co-op.
He joined the Army in 1942, and while stationed in Illinois, he took basic engineering classes at a local college before being shipped overseas. His tour of duty as a staff sergeant took him through the Rhineland of central Europe and the Pacific Theater. He always said that his Army experiences were worth a million bucks, but he wouldn't take a million bucks to do it again.
He married Ida Seidler, from just down the coulee, in 1948, and they built a new farmstead just a couple of miles from where they both grew up. They also ran a meat-cutting business there for many years. Ralph was active in Farmers Union, was a 4-H leader, a member and deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Conrad, and served on the board of directors of the Sun River Electric Co-op and Montana Association of Utilities for more than 25 years.
Ralph and Ida retired from the farm in 1988, and moved to Great Falls so they could be closer to their retired friends, and do a little dancing and traveling. Ralph had also discovered golfing at about this time. He also enjoyed bowling on a local league, Wednesdays at the Great Falls Livestock Auction, and playing pinochle with the grandkids.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Nov. 20, 2008
Survivors are his wife of 60 years, Ida (Seidler) Bishop as well as children, grandchildren.and great-grandchildren, 2 brothers, and a sister.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lillian Bishop; his brother Argyle; and sisters Violet Williams and Dorothy Rouns.
Ralph Gordon Bishop was born June 22, 1921, at the Bishop family farm, 20 miles east of Brady and attended North Faris Elementary School. While attending high school in Conrad, he boarded with the Selanskys, who taught him the meat-cutting business. He graduated from high school in 1939.
In 1940, at age 19, he took over managing the meat processing and marketing of the Valier Co-op Grocery in Valier. He was proud to have been able to convert the meat department into a prosperous part of the Co-op.
He joined the Army in 1942, and while stationed in Illinois, he took basic engineering classes at a local college before being shipped overseas. His tour of duty as a staff sergeant took him through the Rhineland of central Europe and the Pacific Theater. He always said that his Army experiences were worth a million bucks, but he wouldn't take a million bucks to do it again.
He married Ida Seidler, from just down the coulee, in 1948, and they built a new farmstead just a couple of miles from where they both grew up. They also ran a meat-cutting business there for many years. Ralph was active in Farmers Union, was a 4-H leader, a member and deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Conrad, and served on the board of directors of the Sun River Electric Co-op and Montana Association of Utilities for more than 25 years.
Ralph and Ida retired from the farm in 1988, and moved to Great Falls so they could be closer to their retired friends, and do a little dancing and traveling. Ralph had also discovered golfing at about this time. He also enjoyed bowling on a local league, Wednesdays at the Great Falls Livestock Auction, and playing pinochle with the grandkids.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Nov. 20, 2008
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