Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
MRS. NANCY S. BISHOP DEAD
WIFE OF NEW YORK CUSTOMS
OFFICIAL PASSES AWAY.
Descendant of Distinguished Fam
lilies of the South-Native of
Greenville, Tenn.

A wide circle of friends in this city in
the state of Tennessee and in New York
city have been greatly saddened by the
all too early death of Mrs. Nancy Sewer
Bishop, wife of John NJ. Bishop. at pres
ent and for the past seven years deputy
surveyor of customs at the port of New
York, and before that, beginning in the
year 1878. holding responsible positions in
the Post Office and Treasury departments
in Washington until 1900. Prior to 1873
in public life and journalism in Tennes-
see, where he went when a child from his
native state of Virginia.
Mrs. Bishop, who a daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. George f. Jones. now of
Washington. residing at II Seaton street
northeast, was born in Greenville, Tenn.
one OF the historic. refined and intellectual
communities of the south, in 1869. She
came of two of the finest and most dis
tinguished families of the south. Her
father is a grandson of John Sewer. one
of the greater generals of the revolution
airy war, who fought and won the battle
of Kings mountain, one of the decisive
battles of the revolutionary war, and who
after the close Of the war was placed in
command Of all that part of the regular
army in the whole country south and west
of Washington. Her mother whose
daughter of Thomas Lane. who was a
descendant of another of the more noted
families Of the south.
Inherited Pride of Ancestors.
Through her paternal and maternal line
of ancestry, therefore. Mrs. Bishop in
herited the pride of ancestors who were
among the best and more illustrious
families Of the southern states She had
fo., hrn cic
the fourth child and is the first who has
died Her early girlhood was spent in
the inspiring and refined circles of
Greenville, which was the home of Pres
ident Johnson and other eminent people,
all of whom We're intimate friends of
her parents. Later the family moved to
Knoxville. where her education was COM
pleted. and where in 1885 she was mar
ried to Mr.. Bishop and came to Wash
ington. living here until 1860. Young as
she was in years. she took up the work
of the home for Mr.. Bishop and his three
children by his previous marriage one
of whom is Capt. Percy p. Bishop of
the United States Army and now sta
toned here: the others neing Mrs. James
NJ Tilley of Ettowa. Tenn. and Mrs Ed
ward Conner. FOUNTAIN City. Tenn. She
proved the most devoted of mothers to
these stepchidren, who will ness her
name as long as they shall live for her
fidelity to them
Wnen Mr.. B!Snop was o1Iered high
place in the customs service they re-
moved to New York. which was their
home until her death. which occurred
the evening of the 18th instant, after,
severe illness of nearly seven weeks. In
1901 she sustained spinal injuries in a
street railway accident in New York
which made her much of an invalid the
rest OF her life and ultimately caused
her death
Bore Suffering With Courage.
Through all these years Of suffering
she bore herself with resignation. sweet
ness and courage, which were her main
characteristics all her life. The beauty,
gentleness, high spirit and Unborn kind
ness which dominated her from her birth
and made her the favorite and the pride
of her wide circle of kinspeople and all
others who came to know her we'll suS-
tanned her through these years of suffer-
ing and in her final illness.
Instead of repining or growing morbid
she retained her sunny courage and cheer
fulness and constantly sought to be
strength and comfort to those she loved.
Wherever she went she gained friends
among the best people and wherever she
lived she kept herself in constant min
istry of help to the weak and needy. A
popularity of her beautiful nature also
was to help young people in getting
started in life; young men TO get positions
where they would be useful: young wom-
en- who had their own living TO make into
self-respecting places and means of live
lihood and most of all old people who had
found the bitterness of loss and ill for
tune in old age.
Pride of Country.
When she came to Washington, in 1885,.
she had already entered on these blessed
activities. Her early interest in human
things and i'm pride of country as a
Daughter of the Revolution. bearing the
heritage of the revered name of Sewer,