Merle Travis

Bedford Times-Press Thursday July 28, 1999 p. 5

Merle Walter Travis

Merle Walter Travis, age 90 years, 1 month and 9 days was born on June 9, 1909 in Sidney, Fremont County Iowa to Gertrude Alice Novinger and Earl Custer Travis.

He attended rural school in the New Market, Iowa area and high school at New Market, Iowa near where his parents farmed.

On December 19, 1930 he was married at Adel, Iowa to Bernice Maxine Fairbanks who passed away on July 15, 1967. As a result of this marriage two children were born, Michael Fairbanks Travis, who lives and practices law in Bedford, Iowa and James Norman Travis, who lives and practices law in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On November 30, 1973 he was united in marriage to Margaret Nordland in Kimberling City, Missouri. Margaret passed away in 1986.

Merle was a farmer, real estate broker and farm manager. In 1940, the Taylor County Soil Conservation District was organized, the sixth one in Iowa, and Merle helped organize this conservation district. He was the longest serving Soil Conservation District Commissioner in the State of Iowa. He was president of the Iowa Association of Soil Conservation Districts in 1953 and has been president of the Taylor County Fair Board; the Southwest Iowa Fair Association; and Director of Region Eight Soil Conservation Commissioners. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Midwest Feeder Association; the State Experimental Farm located in Page County, Iowa; Bedford United Methodist Church; the War Mobilization Board; the School Board; the Citizens Board of the Mental Health Institute at Clarinda, Iowa; the Farm Bureau; the State Agriculture Advisory Board; and the GMA Farm Panel of America. In 1953 he was named one of the Iowa Master Farmers, one of the youngest men ever to receive that honor. He was Chairman of the State Plowing Contest in 1954; and was named an Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska in 1954; he received the Omaha World Herald Merit Award in 1960; in 1968, he was named Outstanding Man of the Year and in 1974 he was named Iowa's Outstanding Soil Conservation Commissioner. He has served as 4-H leader; AAA township committeemen for the Farm Bureau, Farm Bureau township director and was a member of the Lions Club and the Bedford Development Club. He is also an Honorary Citizen of Boys Town. He was also invited on the first farmer exchange between the United States and Russia but declined to go, stating it was too far from home.

Merle is survived by his sons, Michael and wife Sarah; James and wife Brenda; and his grandchildren, Justin [Wainwright] Travis, Hunter [Murphy] Travis, Mitchell [Elmore Fairbanks] Travis and wife Valerie, Mark [Douglas] Travis and wife Brenda, and Jacqueline [Maxine] Travis; and his great grandchildren, Warren Travis, Clayton Travis, Elias Travis and Emma Travis.

He was preceded in death by his wives, Maxine Travis, Margaret Travis; his parents, Earl and Gertrude Travis; sister, Leta Mankle; and brothers Duane and Kenneth Travis.

Services were handled by Novinger Taylor Funeral Home of Bedford.