Kern County Obituaries Josie Bishop Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008 This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to their own work. Source Unknown; 12 Jul 1951 Mrs. Josie Bishop Has Accident While on her way to attend the regular weekly meeting of the Amaranths, Mrs. Josie Bishop had the misfortune to fall out of the car in which she was riding from her home to Mojave. The accident took place in Red Rock Canyon at about 5 p.m. in which Mrs. Bishop sustained a small fracture of the skull besides numerous bruises and contusion: and a bad case of shock. She was taken to Mojave Hospital for treatment and put to bed where on Tuesday her condition was reported as only fair. At the present time friends are not permitted to visit her altho sympathy cards and get well wishes will be received which she will get as soon as her condition permits. Her legion of friends are joining in one great wish for her speedy recovery. Yesterday Mrs. Bishop was taken to the San Joaquin hospital in Bakersfield by the O'Donnell ambulance for further treatment after a consultation of doctors there. This does not mean that there is cause for alarm as she was receiving the best of treatment here. Mojave Desert News; 19 Jul 1951 Hundreds Pay Homage at Graveside Services Of Colorful Desert Character People from every walk of life in Eastern Kern County as well as numerous other centers of the metropolitan area, received with saddened hearts the news as told exclusively in the Mojave Desert News last Thursday morning of the accident suffered by Mrs. Josie Bishop on Monday after noon in Red Rock Canyon, when she mistook the window control on the car in which she was riding for the door control and pitched headlong out onto the highway suffering a compound fracture of the skull besides numerous bruises and contusions that later on Thursday morning a 4:30 o'clock, caused her death. Thus ended a very colorful life spent in the mining industry in her earlier years, for Mrs. Bishop had not only been an ambassador for miner's rights throughout the country, even as far east as the nation's capital and New York city, but in her earlier years a practical miner as well, wielding the pick and shovel and prospecting for gold along with the strongest of men. She knew the mining business backwards and in later years campaigned for miner's rights wherever mining congresses gathered. In the mining convention held in Denver Colo., recently, it was said that they would not know how to conduct the meeting had Josie not been present. She also had a prominent part in the California Legislature meeting recently, People of East Kern and especially in the vicinity of Mojave perhaps knew her better than most for it was in nearby Cantil that she made her home and there was seldom a meeting of the American Legion Auxiliary held that she had not attended making the 48 mile trip every first and third Friday of the month for this purpose. On Ripley's Program Several years ago she was on Ripley's "Believe It or Not" radio program going all the way to New York City for this purpose and from the part she played in bringing the desert to the attention of people in the East, has come the reason why more and more eastern people are including the Mojave Desert in their vacation trips. Radium Queen She was known as the �Radiun Queen" of the Mojave Desert due to radium activity discovered on her mining property at Dove Springs near Cantil, although she had not been successful in getting anyone sufficiently interested to provide the capital needed to exploit her claims, she was never done talking about it and recently there was a rumor to the effect the government was getting ready to conduct an analysis of the claims. Such is fate, she never realized her ambition: Amaranth in Charge Besides. being a member of Legion Auxiliary she also belonged to the Mojave Court ot Amaranth under whose auspices the final graveside ceremonies were conducted Sunday on a plot of ground overlooking the hill she claimed as home. Pallbearers were Frank Hornkohl, scientist of Bakersfield, Henry Chenard, Geo Bennett and Max Carol of Mojave. Honorary pallbearers were Emory Gay Hoffman, Supervisors Chas. Salzer, A. W. Noon, John Holt and Ardis Walker, Senator J. R. Dorsey, Verle Freeman, Cecil Jones, J. H. Hanks, Ed Fleming. During the graveside ceremonies which were held at 2 p.m win the Mojave Court Order of Amaranth conducting the service, John Birt, Royal Patron, assisted by Catherine Chenard, acting Royal Matron, Virginia Pruitt, acting Assoc. Matron; Roger White, Assoc. Patron; Pauline Carol, Conductress; Clara Belle Flint, acting Prelate, Rachel Hodges was the soloist. Friends from all over the desert were present. NOTS sent a representative, Lt. Commander L J. Goddard. Many Kern County officials were present and displayed the County, State and National flags at the grave. Harry Myers, in his airplane flew over and dipped love over the grave in final tribute. Sons and daughters surviving Mrs. Bishop are Mrs. Beryl Marsh and Mrs. Eugenia King of San Diego, Herbert F,, Arthur H. and James P. all of Trona and William M. of Lomita. The following poem written in honor of Mrs. Bishop by Edna M. Matheron of Bakersfield of which she was inordinately fond. Legion Eulogizes Mrs. Bishop By Bay Fraher With sorrow in our hearts and determination in mind, the American Legion Post 358 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3711 E Mojave joined hands Saturday July 14 in preparing the final resting place for Josie Bishop. The following members left Mojave at 5:30 a.m. to complete their task at Mrs. Bishop's home. For the American Legion Post 58, Earl Blickenstaff, Ray Fraher, Bill McPartland. For the Veterans of Foreign, Wars Post 711, Ed. Fleming, Charlie Willson and Harry Myer. The above veterans were joined by the following employees of the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power of Mojave, Fred Flint, Stan Westberg, Stover Lowe and Al Bodle. We wish to thank the Los Angeles Water Section for the service their men rendered. We of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars bow our heads in paying tribute to a real woman, a friend of all of us. Josie, as she will always be remembered, is a symbol of our real American womanhood. One could write for hours and fill many pages reporting the good work Josie has done, for the Veterans, our county, State and Government. But we all know and pray that she will receive her 1st, well-earned reward from the greatest and highest Judge of all when she answers the roll call from her place of eternal rest. The Veterans of Mojave wish to express their deepest sympathy to her family. We will miss her. May she rest in peace beside her loving son, Charles. NOTE: CADI Josephine Stevens BISHOP b. 18 Jun 1875, NM d. 12 Jul 1951