Papa, can you hear me?

My father, James Ketchel Bishop, was born 100 years ago on Oct 26, 1919 in Branson, Missouri to Grace Mae Lefler Bishop and Allen Kitchel Bishop.

An early photo of dad, “DAD’s GLASSES”, probably taken by his father

Though my blog is about how plants have affected my life, this post doesn’t have much if anything do with plants, but it does have to do with a big affect on my life, my father. My father wasn’t a plant person. I can’t think of a single plant he grew. My mother always said he couldn’t wait until his oldest son was tall enough to reach then lawnmower handle. Still, he had his interests and passions and he always seem to appreciate my interest in plants.

Dad’s mother was widowed in 1925 and raised my father and aunt as a single mom. For income she ran a souvenir shop near Lake Taneycomo in downtown Branson, and collected rent from the properties she owned nearby. Her bungalow, surrounded by a rock wall made of local rocks, was the last private home in downtown Branson and was torn down in the late 1970s. My dad grew up there in a somewhat Tom Sawyer-like childhood.

The spelling of my dad’s middle name was different (Ketchel) since supposedly he was named after an officer that my grandfather served under in the Philippines in the Spanish-American war. He was one of the first photographers of the Southern Missouri Ozarks. He died suddenly in 1925. Grandma always said he died from a heart attack, but his death certificate reads ‘Complications from influenza’. His wife sold hand-colored photos and postcards of his photos in her souvenir shop well into the 1960s.

Dad and his sister Betty in the 1920’s. Notice the cars in the background

Dad and his sister Betty on a tricycle in front of the Sammy Lane Resort in Branson, Mo. Later, my grandmother’s souvenir shop was next door. She also owned the land under the Putt-Putt golf course next door.

Dad, his mother Grace, and sister Betty likely in the 1920s

His father was a photographer but died suddenly when my dad was 5 years old. His single mother owned and operated a souvenir shop in downtown Branson. He graduated from Branson High School in 1938 and the University of Missouri in 1943 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He loved playing baseball and lettered as a pitcher in varsity baseball. He played semi-pro baseball into the early 1960’s. He was a member Engineering Honor Fraternity of Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon. His class was released early due to World War II and he was stationed in the Philippines to build Quonset Huts. He was an Ensign the Navy (SeaBees) from 1947 to 1951. He was married April 9,1949 at the United Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. He was licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Mom and Dad’s wedding. Nephew David was ring bearer.
Sisters Mary Caum and Elizabeth Jackson on the right

From 1951 to 1969, he worked for Ebasco Services as construction manager building electrical generation power plants. This is why growing up we moved from job site to job sites from the 1950s to the 1970s. He was also a member of the National Defense Executive Reserve from 1960 to 1969. From 1969 to 1980, he worked at Brown & Root as Senior Vice President, International Power Division, responsible for the construction and management of fossil-fired and nuclear power plant projects. From 1980 on he worked with Bovay Corporation as a Senior Specialist, and then was a self-employed Construction Consultant. He contracted cancer of duodenum in the mid-1990s and had a radical surgery to present it from spreading. He died in 1999 just a few weeks short of his 50 wedding anniversary.

His big passions in life were his work (he often worked over 12 hours a day and weekends), golfing and baseball.