Dick N. and Jane Bishop are pictured in their back yard in Flora. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald Dick N. and Jane Bishop have been selected as the grand marshals of Flora’s Christmas parade on Saturday.

The parade will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the corner of Willow and Clark streets, proceed downtown, and end at the park.

The Bishops are longtime residents of Flora and have served the community in many ways.

They have both been members of the Flora Community Club for 52 years, and Dick was president twice.

Dick has been an attorney in Flora for 53 years. He served many years as attorney for the Town of Flora and for the Carroll School Corporation. He also has been recognized for his pro bono work for community organizations.

He has been a member of Flora Rotary Club 52 years, served as president twice, and is currently the charter representative for local Boy Scout Troop 144. He’s also been a member of Three Rivers Council of Boy Scouts of America for 20 years and received the Silver Beaver Award. Presented for service to scouting, the award is the highest given by the local council.

Dick was a member of Flora Masonic Lodge and is now an honorary member of Mt. Zion Masonic Lodge. He is a charter board member and current secretary of Flora Apartments and serves on the Maple Lawn Cemetery board. He was a director of Bright National Bank/First Financial Bank for 32 years, formerly served as a director of the Carroll County Community Foundation, and formerly was president of the local PTO.

The Bishops are members and elders of the Flora Presbyterian Church. Jane taught Sunday school 25 years and is active in Presbyterian Women. Dick taught Sunday school 17 years.

Jane has worked with the American Red Cross Bloodmobile for 52 years and has been bloodmobile coordinator at Flora for 30 years. She formerly served on the Flora-Monroe Township Library Board and was the board treasurer for 16 years. She was active in Psi Iota Xi 20 years and served as president. She also was chairman of the Carroll County Council of Churches Migrant Ministry Committee for 15 years.

Jane is a member of the Charles Carroll Chapter of the DAR, and she is a descendant of the First Families of Carroll County. She and Dick are both members of the Carroll County Historical Society.

Jane volunteers at the Flora Thrift Shop, and she and Dick deliver Meals on Wheels.

The Bishops are longtime supporters of the Carroll County Community Foundation and the Carroll County Community Center (formerly YMCA).

They have many interests and hobbies.

They enjoy traveling and have visited all seven continents and many countries.

The Bishops are also interested in birds and wildlife, and look for these on their travels.

“We buy books on the wildlife wherever we go, and also keep a journal and take photos and videos,” Jane said.

Although they like to visit other places, they have many items of interest in their own back yard. They have a goldfish pond, flower and vegetable gardens, Concord grapevines, and a 10-tree orchard of dwarf apple, peach and pear trees. Among their produce are white cucumbers, pole lima beans, gooseberries, and five varieties of apples.

Dick also is a beekeeper and has three stands of honeybees. The Bishops like sharing their honey, vegetables, fruits, jam and jelly with others in the community.

Jane’s other interests are reading and genealogy. Dick enjoys fishing in northern Minnesota and Canada.

They have been married 58 years and have two sons, Dick T. Bishop (wife: Melissa) and Peter Bishop, and two grandsons.