Bill Bishop 12/19/1937 - 5/1/2021

Bill Bishop, of rural Lincoln, passed in his sleep on May 1st.Bill was a lifelong farmer and with his wife Sandy founded Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland in 1973. They started with a simple farm stand in front of their home and grew it a little at a time into a destination for hundreds of thousands of visitors each harvest season.Bill was able to retire in 2005 and move with Sandy to a home in Placer County. He enjoyed his hobby of restoring old tractors. He continued to build things used on the farm – wagons, fountains, and kitchen gadgets. He was always happiest in his shop, creating something new or restoring something old with his hands. In his later years, Bill loved to sit on a bench on October days in front of the bakery he built for Sandy. He would have an ice cream and watch families spending time together on his farm. Few of them knew who he was or where he had been on his journey through life; but they were there to experience what Bill and Sandy had built for them and he enjoyed seeing the smiles on their faces.Bill was not a man without faults. And when family and business are intertwined, there can be bumps on the road of life. But not everyone gets to say, when we reach the end; that our life's work was enjoyed by millions of people and perhaps millions more in the future. In these times it is nice to reflect on a man's time on earth and think that maybe the world is a little bit better place for him having been here.Bill is predeceased by his parents, Wayne and Dorothy, and his sister Betty. He is survived by his brother Jon of Utah; his wife Sandy Bishop of Placer County; his son Bruce Bishop and wife Tracy of Wheatland, son Wayne Bishop and wife Ann of Wheatland, daughter Barbara Bair and husband Lewis of Grimes; his grandchildren Austin Bishop, Lee Bishop, Meghan Sanderson, Joe Bishop, Trevor Bishop, Hudson Bair, and Calvin Bair; and his great-grandchildren Khloe, Carli-Ann, Charlie, Ellie, and Ryder.There will be a private burial at Wheatland Cemetery with family and close friends. A celebration of Bill's life and a meal at Bishop's Pumpkin Farm will be held at 11am Tuesday May 11th. In lieu of flowers, donations would be welcome at the Wheatland Fire Authority or Wheatland Historical Society.