Urbane Vaughn Travis

Urbane (Urb) Vaughn Travis died Tuesday February 7^th, 2023 in Edenton, NC; he was 88; born August 23, 1934 in Nha Trang, Vietnam to Chester Earl Travis of Morocco, IN and Mary Nellie Hall of Fryeburg, ME, Christian and Missionary Alliance missionaries. Urb was the last surviving member of his family, and the fifth of five children; he was preceded in death by a sister, Evangel, and three brothers, Jonathan, Paul, and Ivan. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Burnett Winton, who resides in Waynesville, NC, and six children: Drew Travis, Fort Jones, CA; Drake Travis, Newport Beach, CA; Hestia (Mary) September, Lynnwood, WA; Matt Travis, Virginia Beach, VA; Frankie (Annie) Travis, Sebastopol, CA; and Lily (Amber) Zollitsch, Burnet, TX; 17 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. Sadly, in the early years of World War II, Urb spent part of his childhood in an internment camp in My Tho, Vietnam during the Japanese occupation. He first came to the United States (New York City) in 1943, then returned with his parents after the war to complete high school (’53) in Dalat, Vietnam. He returned to the United States, attended both Nyack College (NY) and Cal Berkeley, then transferred to Simpson Bible College (San Francisco, CA) where he graduated (’59). Urb met Liz in Oakland, CA (’57), and they got married September 27, 1958. Urb took his first ministry position after Drew’s birth (’59) as the Pastor of Fort Jones (CA) Community Church. After the births of Drake (’61) and Hestia (’63), the family moved to Baldwin Park, CA where he pastored two Bible churches from 1965 to 1971. After the births of Matt (’66), Frankie (‘69), and Lily (’72), the family moved to Etna, CA where he and Liz raised their family. He drove a logging truck for Trygve Onarheim in 1972 and went on to log thousands of road miles in an over 30 year career. Known as “Preacher” on the CB radio, he often shared Jesus with other drivers, woodsmen, and mill workers in northern California’s mountains. He pastored Etna Methodist Church (’74-‘75), and the family later joined Etna’s Scott Valley Berean Church. Trilingual, Urb would often wow his family with stories in French and Vietnamese. Quick to laugh, he routinely mimicked Rodney Dangerfield “I bought a perfect 2d car…a tow truck.” He sang and played violin, trumpet, and guitar in Church. He hunted and camped, and swam in Siskiyou County’s creeks, rivers, and lakes. He loved having fun; his son Drake remembers him in the Salmon River laughing uncontrollably after jumping off Mathews Creek’s cliffs. He skied, hiked, rode horse, replaced engines, watch his kids’ school/sports events, golfed, read The Far Side with his grandkids, and gardened. His daughter Hestia loved playing hooky to cut firewood with him up Sugar Creek. When his daughter Frankie accidentally rolled their ’49 Chevy truck over the bank into an apple tree, he instantly started laughing, once realizing she was ok, and said, “That’s why we call it the Dent.” He had a deep passion for telling people about Jesus; he once painted a huge sign, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, on his barn during the Etna Rodeo. His daughter Lily remembers praying to accept Christ with him by her side on February 7, 1980, 43 years to the day before his death. His sincere empathy for the outcast was likely ingrained in him from his My Tho internment camp experience. After the fall of Vietnam, he helped relocate refugees via Camp Pendleton, CA. He worked with World Vision (’79-’80) to relocate refugees flying into San Francisco. He worked falling trees, but an accident forced him to return to driving a logging truck. He maintained friendship with California’s Vietnamese congregations his entire life, preached in their churches, and reminisced with them about Vietnam. Please send condolences to Liz Travis, 174 Summer Place Drive, Waynesville, NC 28785.   Memorial donations can be made to Scott Valley Berean Church by sending check (memo UV Travis, global missions) to SVBC, PO Box 716, Etna, CA 96027 ([email protected] if questions). There will be no public funeral. The family will spread his ashes privately, and firmly believes that every one of Urb’s burdens has now been lifted; every trophy has been laid down; his tears have been wiped away; he is  home now; his war is over; he is with the Savior face to face [from There is a King, Elevation Worship (featuring Brandon Lake)].