Who's Who of Crow Creek Valley

Flossie Bishop

Last Name: Bishop
First Name:Flossie
Born:July 17, 1906
Died:
Burial:
Place of birth:Sherwood, Franklin County, TN.
Last place of residence:
Mother:Ida Mae Barnes
Father:Clabe L. Bishop


Information submitted by Sheila Casinger

Additional information below from Fr. George W. Jones, The Booklet.

 

 

 

 

From The Booklet Autumn 1941
Fr. George W. Jones

FLOSSIE'S is situated about 100 yards from the Mission church, within the Mission close if it may be so called. Flossie's is a commodious room with clothes presses, table, book shelves with books, really the Mission clothes room and library. Flossie, a young Mission woman, spends a good part of six days a week conducting her establishment. Here
the contents of your boxes sent to the Mission are classified and sold to the poor from miles around for a bit of money whenever possible or given without price when the poor has nothing to pay. The money so received is a tremendous help in paying Mission expenses. Truly you can have no full realization of the value to the Mission of the old shoes, suits, clothing, curtains, notions, in fact, any single such thing sent.

In the Greater Congregation the Mission's outstanding contributor of boxes lives in Baltimore. She collects from a large circle of friends anything from soap to blankets. So much good has she accomplished that the Mission unhesitatingly, if it could, would canonize her forthright, St. Minnie.

Remember always, Beloved, how even a small box furthers the Mission's purpose and remember that books of fairly up to date fiction help to satisfy an insatiable demand.

CHRISTMAS, 1941

FLOSSIE'S is the place. Flossie's is the Mission library and
"Rag Shop," (a passing name lately facetiously bestowed by those who love it to the center of distribution of the contents of boxes). The time is 10:30 o'clock of any week day morning. Present are six women or perhaps twelve women and two men and several children. Some live just up the street, some live quite up the mountain, a few live miles away, perhaps down across the Alabama line or deep in the coves. Some came to get a book, some came to see if a new box had arrived which might contain just what they so greatly need. The stock of used clothing and shoes is rather thoroughly depleted and they wait hoping that the mid-morning express, now over due, may bring a box. They thumb magazines. They gossip. They think of their need of shoes, a dress, coat, stockings. The train arrives and they watch the station a hundred yards away. No express. Disappointment. But there are a number of large mail pouches and hope revives. Twenty minutes pass and the mail is up. There is a sizeable box from Cleveland or La Jolla or Baltimore. There is a woman's coat. Flossie says the price must be $3.0O which is fabulous but five women eagerly try it on. There are some collar band shirts (never worn in Sherwood) which are priced at ten cents each and bought at once to be made into baby dresses. A pair of shoes, Flossie tells the disappointed women, are not for sale because they will just fit Mrs. McGowan and she has nothing to pay. Some clean rags will go to the sick. Perhaps a man's coat or suit has been spoken for by a dozen men. If there is children's clothing or curtains or underwear or odds and ends
of notions all are needed and wanted. (The Mission priest personally inspects each and every box and reserves to himself the distribution of soap, and a number of other articles). When little is left of the box the people depart but others drop in all day long to search through the meager store. Day by day, year after year, the boxes from members of the Greater Congregation supply in part these people's great need that otherwise could not possibly be supplied.