Evelyn Lett Bishop
August 3, 1926 – July 23, 2021
Evelyn Lett Bishop, 94, of Cairo, GA, passed away peacefully at her home on Friday, July 23, 2021. Graveside funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 26, 2021 in Greenwood Cemetery, Cairo, GA. Rev. Chris Allen will officiate.
Active pallbearers will be Mike Bishop, Mark Bishop, Waymon Williams, Roy Jones, Wayne Thomas and Jim Ellis. Honorary pallbearers will be the Grady Senior Citizen Center, TEL Sunday School Class, American Legion Post #122, American Legion Auxiliary, Cairo Shrine Club and the Cairo Masonic Lodge.
Mrs. Evelyn was born on August 3, 1926, in Tallahassee, FL, to the late Claude Eugene Lett and Pearl Estes Lett. Evelyn graduated from Leon High School in 1944. On January 3, 1945, she married Hunter Maxwell “Bill” Bishop, Jr., who preceded her in death on February 18, 2011. In 1948, Evelyn and Bill established Bishop’s Jewelry, which they owned and operated successfully for 51 years. In January of 1999, they decided to sell the business to their nephew, Mark Bishop, where he has continued to work in the same manner as they did to this very day. Mrs. Evelyn is of the Baptist faith and a long,devoted member of the First Baptist Church of Cairo. She and Bill had a wonderful life traveling the world together. She was loved by her family and friends to whom she was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.
Mrs. Evelyn was a member of The American Legion Auxiliary Post #122, The Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, The Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, Order of The Eastern Star, life-time member of The Grady County Historical Society and The Cairo Woman’s Club. Some of her achievements included: 2002 Grady County Woman of the Year, Worthy Matron of The Eastern Star, Past President of DAV Auxiliary, The VFW and the American Legion Auxiliary Post #122, Treasurer of the Veterans Express Bus for 31 years, the President’s Life Time Achievement Award from President Trump for over 4000 hours of volunteer work, 2006 Volunteer of the Year from the V.A. Clinic in Tallahassee, FL, U.S.A. Achievement Award for volunteer services, 2003 Member of the Year from the American Legion Auxiliary and the Volunteer Services Achievement Award from the State of Georgia.
She is survived by: her sons, Gary Bishop (Lynda) of Perry, GA and Bruce Bishop of Reno, GA; grandchildren, John Bishop of Hampton, GA, Julie Moore (Phillip) of Perry, GA, Jeanna Smallwood (Lee) of Perry, GA and Amy Pearce of Freeport, FL; great-grandchildren, Lanier and John Walker Moore, both of Perry, GA, Bishop and Hunter Smallwood of Perry, GA, Dawson Bishop of Hampton, GA and Maxwell and John Harrell of Cairo, GA, J. J. Harrell of Cairo, GA; sister, Emogene L. Hartsfield of Havana, FL; sister-in-law, Irma Jean Lett of Havana, FL and a host of nieces, nephews and close family friends.
She was preceded by her parents; husband; daughter, Tonni Bishop Clark; and her brothers, Cecil, Roy, Robert, Billy and Sony Lett.
A special thanks to her loving care givers, Sally Ready and Marie Brinson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given in Mrs. Evelyn’s memory to: the First Baptist Church Building Fund, P. O. Box 1538, Cairo, GA 39828; or the Veterans Express Bus, Inc., c/o Fred McCallum, P. O. Box. 1252, Cairo, GA 39828.
