Paula Bishop

Paula Browning Stephens Bishop, age 78, of Mason City, IA, passed away peacefully on the evening of January 7, 2015, of complications from COPD. Paula was being visited and comforted by family members and friends at the Heritage Care and Rehabilitation Center in Mason City at the time of her passing. A gathering of friends and family will be held from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Monday, January 12, 2015, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave, Mason City. A memorial service will be held in Pampa, TX at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the Salvation Army, 747 Village Green Drive, Mason City, IA 50401. Paula was born in Tyler, TX on September 29, 1936. She married Bill Stephens on April 27th, 1954 in Amarillo, TX. Paula traveled and lived all over the United States while Bill worked as a pipeline welder. She especially enjoyed their time in Florida. Later they settled their family in Pampa, TX and opened Bill Stephens Welding Service. Paula also operated a cake decorating business, Cakes by Paula. They enjoyed square dancing, water sports and dirt bikes as a hobby with family and many friends. Fourteen years after the death of Bill, she married Robert Bishop and moved to Georgetown, TX. One of her great passions in life was writing stories about her life and family. She belonged to a writers group and was published in several of the Barnes and Noble Generations series. Paula had some of her happiest times with friends and family enjoying the lights and excitement of Las Vegas. She loved the slot machines. She never met a stranger and even rolled up to the Wynn one night in a Rolls Royce after striking up a conversation with a very nice man on her flight. He turned out to be on the Executive Board of Directors of the Green Bay Packers. Survivors include her two children: Shermette Jackson and husband Clark of Austin, TX, and Clay Stephens and wife Rita of Mason City; 6 grandchildren: Stacie (Tim) Hall, Kristen (Tim) Wolf, Travis Naumann, John Jackson, Dan (Amy) Jackson and Joe (Erin) Jackson; 7 great-grandchildren; and her brother: Kent Bowermon and wife Kathie of Rockdale, TX. She was preceded in death by her husbands: Bill Stephens and Robert Bishop, and her parents: Geneva and Robert Bowermon.

Memorials may be directed to the Salvation Army, 747 Village Green Drive, Mason City, IA 50401

Service:
A memorial service will be held in Pampa, TX at a later date.