For those who wish to read my Mom's obituary, here is the link:

http://www.dl-online.com/content/betty-bishop

  

1928 - January 28

Betty June Boze was born. The second child of Adren Boze and Clara Rislund Boze, Betty had an older sister by two years, Adrienne and a younger brother, Eldred, who would be born On New Years Day, 1939.  


1940s

Betty was diagnosed with tuberculosis and admitted to a sanitorium. I am personally confused about the length of time she was there and why she was sent there. To my knowledge, the diagnosis was never confirmed. Mom tells a story of a doctor who placed her there and her dad overriding the doctor and bringing her home. Whatever the circumstances, it was a traumatic period in her life. (Update - My aunt has added more details about this period in her remembrance of my Mom).


1948-1949

Betty meets and marries my dad, Dale Gordon Bishop. Dale grew up on a farm outside Tower City, North Dakota. He served as a radarman on aircraft carriers and destroyers in the Pacific during WWII. After the war, he joined a traveling band playing trombone. He and my mom met at a dance where he was playing.

1950

 Betty and Dale’s son, Danny Gordon Bishop was born in Detroit Lakes, Minn.

 1965

 Betty and Dale were in a severe car accident outside Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. The accident left her in critical condition with multiple leg and foot injuries and chest trauma. This accident changed my mom’s life. We were routinely going to bowling tournaments she was in around the state. Following the accident, she would never be active again, the foot injury leaving her with limited mobility and continual pain.

 1972 and 1975

 Her two grandchildren were born – Tricia Clare in 1972 and Jennifer Ann in 1975.

1980

 Dale dies of a massive heart attack in September of that year.

 Late 1980s

 Betty sells her home in Minnesota and moves to Englewood, Florida, near her sister and her husband, Larry Skoog.

Late 1980s - 2013

Betty settles in Florida, working for Nielsen Research into her 80s and developing a strong circle of friends. In the mid-90s, Kathy and I moved to Tampa and were able to see her more frequently. By 2012, aging had taken away her short term memory along with her ability to work and drive. She moved into assisted living at that time where she continued to make strong friendships until her death.   

Closing out her assisted living apartment after her death, a frail neighbor lady came to the door and asked after my Mom. When told of her death, she began to cry and told me that they had become good friends, sitting outside their apartments at night watching the stars and chatting. I drew great comfort from that story for many reasons, not the least being the knowledge that she continued to touch people around her.