Celebrate Women’s History Month by Learning About Leona Bishop and her Daughters

If you've lived in Casper for any length of time, chances are you've driven by the Historic Bishop Home on East Second Street -- a reminder of a time when Casper was just a young, rough-and-tumble little town.

In fact, there are often events inviting the public to visit and learn about the historic character of the building and the family that once inhabited it's brick walls, thanks in large part to the Cadoma Foundation.

Leilani DeClue, the house manager, earlier told K2Radio News that almost all the special exhibits displayed at the Bishop Home are the belongings of the Bishop family, who played a big part in the development that would spur Casper into becoming a thriving community.

The matriarch of the family, Leona (also known as "Lona") Bishop was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1867.

In 1887 she moved with her family to Nebraska. She met and married Marvin L. Bishop in 1888.

In 1895 they moved to Casper after he was appointed postmaster.

In addition to having 10 children, Leona served as postmistress in Cadoma, Wyoming, where she and her husband established a large sheep shearing operation.

The post office was later moved to Bishop, Wyoming a few miles away.

Leona also found time to be active in many community organizations such as the First United Methodist Episcopal Church, Ladies Aid Society, American War Mothers, and the Old Pioneers Association.

All of the Bishop children lived in Wyoming until their death. They had seven daughters:

The eldest daughter was Lilas May Bishop Burns (1889 - 1985).

The Bishop's second eldest daughter, Katherine Elvira Bishop Elliott (1891 - 1985),  homesteaded Cadoma, a site 12 miles west of Casper. She and her family were fortunate when that location was selected as the first railroad station established on the Chicago and Northwestern Railway between Casper and Lander, Wyoming.

Ellen Virginia Bishop was born in 1893. She died at one and half years old.

Marguerite Bishop Minty (1895 - 1984) was married twice and widowed once. After the death of her last husband, Roy Minty, she went back to the Bishop home to live with her sisters, Marie (aka Pink) and Lucile.

Marie Bishop (1899 - 1985), or "Pink" as friends and family called her, worked for Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph as a trainer. She traveled throughout Wyoming instructingv telephone personnel on different developments in the company and training new personnel. One of her contributions to the house is a number of telephones, including the "princess" telephones Pink helped introduce to the public.

Lillian Leona Bishop (1905 - 1993) was known as the beauty queen of the family.

Lucile Lois Bishop (1908 - 1997) was the youngest child of the family. She was the only child born in a hospital and brought to the home as an infant. Lucile went to Casper Public Schools. Upon her graduation, she went to the Colorado Women's College and Colorado Teaches College in Greeley. She began her teaching career in Shoshoni, Wyoming and then moved to Casper. She taught at Willard School, Dean Morgan Junior High School, and years later, the Music Department for the Casper School system.

Read More: Do You Know The Powerful History of The Bishop Home In Casper?