Elizabeth Hayman Spradley Bishop, 89, of Tifton died Thursday, October 16, 2008, at Tift Health Care. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 20, 2008, at Tift Avenue Church of God. Rev. Joe Crumley and Rev. Jerry Ethridge will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Warren Spradley, Ronnie Polley, Michael Spradley, Buddy Pomahatch, James Rutherford and Joel Ethridge will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Sunday, October 19, 2008, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Bishop was born on February 28, 1919 in Tifton and was the daughter of Leonard Hayman and Boza Roberts Hayman, both deceased. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Elijah D. Spradley; her second husband, Percy Jewell Bishop; four sons, Dan Spradley, Ted Spradley, Maxie Spradley and George Bishop; two brothers, G. W. Hayman and James M. Hayman; and two sisters, Blanche Myers and Florence Sirmans. She was a homemaker and a member of Tift Avenue Church of God, where she was the oldest, living charter member. She had lived in Tifton all of her life.
Mrs. Bishop is survived by two sons, David Bishop of Tifton and Charles Bishop of Florida; four daughters and three sons-in-law, Mae Jo Cassell of Tifton, Virginia and Harvey Hatcher of Tifton, Grace and Aaron Messer of Alabama, Mary Beth and Vaughn Tucker of Tifton; two daughters-in-law, Louise Spradley of Tifton and Jerri Taylor of Lakeland; one sister, Maxine H. Pomahatch of Tifton; 22 grandchildren; 34 great grandchildren; one step-son, James Bishop of Macon; and six step-daughters, Merlyn Harris of Enigma, Juanita Crum of South Carolina, Jean Stouffer of Tifton, Carolyn Brannen of Tifton, Linda Burchett of Sylvester and Nell Pancake of Augusta.