By VICTORIA PRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
It was a special milestone for one former Moapa Valley resident this weekend. Long-time local resident and business owner Noreen Bishop celebrated her 90th birthday on Saturday evening, Sept. 14, amid revelry from friends and family at the home of Connie and Lance Robertson in Overton.
The outdoor party, held in the Robertsons’ back yard, included a slideshow of many memories from over the years.
Noreen lived in Moapa Valley for 49 years with her husband, the late Lee Bishop. The couple had discovered this small farming town when Lee was going to school for his masters degree in education at Utah State University.
While there, he met then-principal, Grant Bushman. Bushman offered James a job to come teach in Moapa Valley. While he was thinking about it, a terrible storm destroyed Noreen’s garden James cheered her up by saying that weekend they should go visit always-sunny Moapa Valley.
They took their seven kids down to Overton for the weekend. The whole family fell in love with the Moapa Valley community.
Within four days of putting their farm in Utah up for sale it had closed. This was a clear sign for Noreen and Lee that they were meant to live in Overton.
In 1962 they moved to their new southern Nevada home. They lived here and raised their family while teaching and building multiple businesses for 49 years.
Some of the businesses they owned included Bishop’s Cafe and Waymire Western Auto both on Overton’s main street. Both of these were successful family businesses and the kids all helped out working together.
“My mom taught me how to work hard all the way from high school when I waitressed in mom and dad’s cafe,” said Noreen’s daughter, Connie Robertson who still lives in Overton.
Noreen wasn’t only known in Moapa Valley. During her time here she was named Mother of the Year for the state of Nevada in 1991.
Eventually her husband’s health made it hard to live far away from the medical care he needed.
“It was either buy a helicopter and fly to St. George every week or move there,” Noreen said.
The couple moved in 2011. Lee passed away in 2016.
Noreen is the mother of 11 children, 51 grandchildren, 112 great grandchildren and 14 great great grandchildren.
