Katherine Bishop, 103, of Groton dies; funeral Mass set for Nov. 24

Katherine Bishop, a longtime Groton and Locke resident whose life included wartime factory work, farming and caring for her family, died Nov. 10 at Groton Community Health Care Center. She was 103.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, at St. Anthony’s Church, 312 Locke Road in Groton, according to her obituary from Shurtleff Funeral Home. Burial will take place afterward in St. Anthony’s Cemetery.

Born in West Groton on April 28, 1923, Bishop was the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Velki) Pollack. She remained connected to the Groton and Locke communities throughout her life.

She completed her studies at Groton High School in 1941. The funeral home said she had recently been recognized as the school’s oldest living alumna.

During World War II, she contributed to wartime production through jobs at an Elmira factory and Smith Corona in Groton. Her husband, Richard Bishop, served in the Marine Corps in the South Pacific.

She also trained in cosmetology in Syracuse and subsequently worked at Edward’s Department Store. After the war, she and Richard bought the family farm on Chipman Corners Road and ran it together for decades.

Her family remembered her devotion to her son Thomas, who had a disability, and the care she provided throughout his life. She also maintained a lifelong affiliation with St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church.

Surviving children are John Bishop, James Bishop and his wife, Cathy, and Nancy Brown. Her family also includes 10 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Richard, her husband, died in 2007, and Thomas died in 2015. Other family members who died before her include her parents; John’s wife, Linda; her brother, Michael Pollack Sr.; and her sisters, Josephine Kratochvil, Helen Kowalski and Mary Strom.

The family requests memorial donations to St. Anthony’s Church or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital instead of flowers. Shurtleff Funeral Home is handling arrangements, and condolences can be shared through its online obituary.

Staff Report

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