Eleanor (Jane) Quillen Travis, age 78 passed away Saturday, July 16, 2022, in Joplin, Missouri. She was born on December 18, 1945, to her father and mother Ralph Mitchell Quillen and Versa Baker Quillen in Bloomfield, Indiana. She graduated from Bloomfield, Indiana High School in 1961 and later went on to further her education at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana graduating in 1965.
Eleanor married her high school sweetheart Bill Travis in 1962. They moved multiple times to accommodate careers and their growing family living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dover, Delaware and Onancock, Virginia before settling into Springdale, Arkansas in 1983 and the Joplin area in 1998.
Eleanor was very active in her church, First Presbyterian of Joplin. With a servant’s heart, she was always quick to offer help and support to those in need. Her professional career as a social worker and a teacher provided her the opportunity to positively impact many lives over the years. She was particularly proud of helping to establish Carl Junction’s Alternative School in 2000, from which she later retired in 2013. Eleanor was passionately devoted to her family, pets (which she considered family), and her church. All who knew her could see the love of Jesus radiating from her notoriously beautiful smile.
Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, her husband William “Bill” Travis, and her brother Daniel Quillen. She is survived by her three children Tracey Lancelot (Greg Lancelot), Meredith Moritz (Chase Moritz), and son Scott Travis (Jennifer). Eleanor “Nana” adored her grandchildren Cody Lancelot (Madison Lancelot), Grant Lancelot (Cassidy Squires), Madelyn Moritz, Caroline “CK” Moritz, and Jordan Travis.
A memorial service celebrating Eleanor’s life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Joplin, Missouri (509 Pearl Avenue, Joplin, Missouri 64801) on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.