Ina Ray Bishop, age 94, entered Heaven’s Gates on December 27, 2022.

Our dear mother, Ina Ray Bishop was born on September 24, 1928, in Crystal Springs Mississippi, to Ellis and Dorothy Atlas Evans.  Mom grew up on her grandparents’ farm with various cousins and enjoyed the godly rearing of her grandparents Mary and George who fostered a love for God, which lead to her accept the Lord at a young age.

During the Great Migration, many of her family members moved to Chicago, Illinois where Mom attended school. Upon graduating, she began working at Donnelley Publishing. She moved to Gary, Indiana with her father and stepmother, Alice. This is where she met her husband of 40 years (Erskine Bishop, Sr. deceased). They moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1952 and purchased a home in 1960, of which Mom lived in for the remainder of her days. Mom had many wonderful neighbors including Toni Griffin, her next-door neighbor, whom she regarded as a dear friend and sister.

Later in life, Mom was introduced to her half-sister and brother, Nancy Gist, and Rashid Rahim. Our beloved Mom was the proud mother of 5 children: Larry Evans (deceased) (Betty), Vanessa Bishop, Avery Bishop, Inetta Gaines (Landers), and Andrea Smith (Tedario). She was also a loving mother-in-law to Mabel Bishop, (Erskine Bishop, Jr., deceased).

Mom loved and prayed every day for her grandchildren; Derrick, Terence, Raymond, Lashana, Candace, Evan, Brittney, Deon, Samantha, Jennifer, Savannah, Joy, and Nicolas Dante (deceased); great-grandchildren; Ryan, Dorian, Makayla, Michal Nicole, Kennedy, Kingston, Terece, and Nicolas (deceased).

She loved reading her bible, praying, writing in her prayer journal, sending greeting cards, gardening, helping the elderly, and completing Bible-Word Search books. One of her treasured memories was sharing the godly wisdom of her grandmother, and the love she received from her father-in-law, Thomas Bishop, who valued family above all. Mom was a devoted member of Shiloh Baptist Church, Four-Square Euclid Church, and her final church home, Providence Baptist Church, (Pastor Rodney Maiden). Mom had a giving heart that will live on in her family and a host of friends.