Margaret Bishop Continues Her Mission

NORTH WILDWOOD ─ Some search for place and find it, only to be lead about by other tides and a cause outside of themselves. Some follow the path already laid out before them, taking each step and every change in their stride; the tides of change, mission, and seeking new horizons sometimes come quietly, and we find that those paths only lead us home.
On a quiet street in North Wildwood, Margaret Bishop, 85, known as “Peggy” by so many, continues to carry out a quiet mission of her own. Presently serving on North Wildwood City Council, Bishop seeks to represent the senior citizen community and its concerns. “Fortunately, my brain still works,” said Bishop with a laugh. 
Bishop’s service to North Wildwood began in the early 1990s under Mayor Lewis Vinci, a longtime friend.
After Vinci finished his term, Bishop also “got away” from public service. However, while the late Mayor William Henfey was in office, another “old friend,” Councilman Edwin Koehler, called and persuaded Bishop to run.
“I went door to door,” Bishop reminisced, and added she is thankful to all of her supporters over the years. Bishop praised Henfey for doing his best to “make the city better every day,” and then remarked that she believes that Mayor Patrick Rosenello is “following in his (Henfey’s) footsteps.”
Bishop enjoys her work on the city council and especially enjoys how “no egos” play about in government business. “I don’t have any issues with anyone,” Bishop said. “If I do, I speak up.”
When asked how long she plans on serving, Bishop replied with a grin, “Until they throw me out.”
Bishop’s role in North Wildwood stretches back farther than her political career.
As a child, she and her two siblings would spend their summers in a rented house while their parents worked in Philadelphia and commuted on weekends. Under the care of a maiden aunt, Bishop enjoyed those idyllic summers. Today, Bishop’s siblings live in Wildwood Crest.
Later, Bishop met Lewis Bishop, whose family owned and ran the Hotel Germantown, now the Anglesea Pub.
The Bishop family’s roots in North Wildwood run deep, going back to 1917.
Meeting as mutual, family friends, Bishop and Lewis’ relationship culminated in marriage Nov. 1, 1952. Two sons joined the Bishop family, and they both lived in Cape May County.
Lewis, who partnered with his brother in running the Germantown, had served in World War II along the front lines in Europe. He returned after the war to North Wildwood. Both of Lewis’ brothers died young, according to Bishop.
“I was the errand runner,” said Bishop, explaining her role in the family business. According to Bishop, North Wildwood has always been a “popular, family town,” even in its years as Anglesea.
People from Philadelphia could ride the train down to Anglesea and enjoy the day by fishing, taking a ferry to Stone Harbor, and other outdoor recreations.
“We still wouldn’t move,” Bishop said. “I don’t know where else I’d rather be.” Even facing the inevitability of hurricanes and other storms, Bishop said she prefers North Wildwood to any other place.
“We’re on the edge here,” said Bishop, “we are unique.”
Life on a barrier island poses challenges not found in mainland areas, yet Bishop is committed to caring for her husband and serving the community.
To contact Rachel Rogish, email rrogish@cmcherald.com.