Nancy J. Travis

Nancy Jane (Tucker) Travis passed away peacefully in her Columbia, Missouri home on September 30, 2023. With friends and family members nearby, and her beloved daughter, Courtney, at her side, Nancy went home to her Heavenly Father and many loved ones who’d gone before her. Nancy was born on June 9, 1950 at Pike County Memorial Hospital in Louisiana, Missouri, the third child and only daughter of Earl C. Tucker and Erma Rhea (Hughart) Tucker. Nancy grew up in Eolia, Missouri and attended Malvern B. Clopton public schools. Upon graduating from high school in 1968, Nancy enrolled in Patricia Stevens in St. Louis. The school, advertised as a “modeling and finishing school” in those days, prepared Nancy well for her secretarial career at the University of Missouri Hospital. After completing her schooling at Patricia Stevens, Nancy moved to Columbia, secured an apartment and a roommate, and began working in the offices of the radiology and pathology departments of University Hospital. With a petite figure, Nancy was a snappy dresser, often wearing dresses and suits made by her mother, Erma. Though she came home often on weekends, Nancy grew to love Columbia. She learned the little city well, and was fortunate to have the company of a few of her dear high school friends who also made Columbia their home. Nancy was married in 1982. She gave birth to Courtney Rhea Travis on May 11, 1986. Courtney would be Nancy’s only child and her greatest blessing. Nancy’s marriage ended in divorce in 1997. Nancy and Courtney then moved to Troy, Missouri—a move that put them closer to Nancy’s parents and other supportive family members. Nancy worked very hard as a single mother. She held positions at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and Walmart, both in Troy. In her free time, Nancy loved reading and creating beautiful cross stitch and crewel embroidery artworks, often shared with loved ones. Nancy moved back to Columbia in 2009, where Courtney was now living, once again in the community that she’d grown to enjoy so much in her younger years. Prior to retiring in May 2022, Nancy worked at Walmart in Columbia and, most recently, for Battle High School Nutrition Services. Nancy was a natural lunch lady, learning how to cook and manage the kitchen from her own mother. Nancy grew up in the Eolia Methodist Church and was a member of Community United Methodist Church in Columbia, MO. Ms. Travis is survived by her daughter, Courtney Rhea Travis of Columbia; two brothers, Donald W. (Mary Lou) Tucker and David Glen (Tina) Tucker, both of Eolia; seven nieces and nephews, Hally (Jeff) Wells of Troy, Ellen (Jarrod) Richards of Troy, Tammy (Tom) Miller of Columbia, Tara (Scott) Humphreys of Bastrop, Texas, Caleb (Meghan) Tucker of Moscow Mills, Ethan Tucker of Moscow Mills, and Kristin (Joseph) Beaver of Bowling Green; two maternal aunts, Betty Anderson of Fort Worth, Texas and Dortha Cockerham of Arlington, Texas; six great-nieces and nephews, and many friends. Ms. Travis was preceded in death by her parents, Earl C. and Erma Tucker; a nephew, Coleman Matthew Tucker; one brother, Earl Ray Tucker; and a very dear friend and second mother, Mary McDannold. Services for Ms. Travis will be held on Sunday, October 8, 2023 at Eolia Methodist Church in Eolia, Missouri. Visitation will begin at 11:30 a.m., and the funeral will be at 1:00 p.m. Greg Wyble and Pastor Nathan Adams will officiate. Interment will be held at Auburn Cemetery. Tom Miller, Caleb Tucker, Ethan Tucker, Tommy White, Ivan Franz, and Eli Richards will serve as pallbearers. Memorial may be made in care of Collier Funeral Home in Louisiana, MO to Eolia Methodist Church, the Central Missouri Humane Society, and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Nancy J. Travis

June 9, 1950 - September 30, 2023