Bishop, John G.

John G. Bishop
son of Isaac T. Bishop
Oakwood Cemetery, Somers, Wisconsin
(Source:  Photo courtesy of Larry & Linda Kopet, US GenWebArchivesProject Wisconsin)

John G. Bishop
 "Telegrams received in the city state that John Bishop, son of Isaac T. Bishop, a well known young man in this city, who was born in the Town of Somers, Kenosha County, died at Misbawaka, Indiana as a result of injuries sustained in falling from an engine a few weeks ago at Green Bay.  He had been employed as a fireman of the St. Paul Railroad for some time past and was one of the most trusted employees of the company.
John Bishop was thirty-four years of age and was born and raised in Somers.  He has been a railroad man for several years and was for a time employed on the Milwaukee, Racine & Kenosha cars in this city.
He gave up this position a year ago to become a fireman on the St. Paul system.  He is survived by a wife and two children, who are now residing at Somers Station.
The accident which resulted in the death of Bishop was one of the most peculiar ever known to railway men in Wisconsin.  Six weeks ago an accident occurred at Green Bay and when the railway managers came round to look into the accident, Fireman Bishop undertook to show the men how the accident had occurred.  In going through the details of the mock accident he lost his balance and fell from his engine striking on his head.  He was not thought to be seriously injured at the time, but his head pained him to such an extent that he was finally forced to take a vacation and he came to his home in Somers to recover from the effects of the injury.  He remained at home until two weeks ago, when thinking that he had entirely recovered, he returned to his old employment and since that time he had been making regular runs on his engine."
(Source:  Racine Daily August 16, 1902)

"John Bishop, who met with sudden death at Mishawaka, Indiana on Thursday evening, was buried in the family lot in Oakwood Cemetery in Somers on Sunday.  The services were held at the family home.  Further particulars of the sad accident reveal that Bishop, who was employed as firemen on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Road, was enjoying a vacation at the home of Engineer Parker, in the Indiana town.  They were out with a number of others at a small lake Thursday evening, and after rowing about a swim was suggested.  Both Parker and Bishop leaped into the water and Bishop who was a good swimmer, struck out and a sort of jocular way, remarked that would show Parker how to swim.  Parker followed close on and after they had gone about fifty feet, Bishop suddenly dropped under water and as soon as Parker reached the spot he dove down after him and brought him to the surface dragging him into a boat.  Bishop was not in the water to exceed ten minutes and could have been revived, were it ordinary case of drowning, but an investigation by physicians revealed that he had been stricken with paralysis of the heart, and that it was from heart failure and not suffocation that he died.
When the sad news of his death was conveyed to his mother she was so completely prostrated and being subjected to heart trouble, is at present in a precarious condition.
There is absolutely no truth in the fake stories sent out and published in other papers in this and other cities that Bishop was about to be married to young lady of an Indiana town."
(Source:  Racine Journal Aug. 19, 1902)