Anna Mae Travis

Age 89, passed away August 27, 2025, with her family by her side.  She was born December 19, 1935, in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Morgan and Edna (Connor) Hughes.  Ann met the love of her life, Arlo C. Travis after he arrived home after his discharge from the Korean Conflict and they were married on July 26, 1955. They celebrated 49 beautiful years together before Arlo passed.

They had 3 children whom they loved very much and enjoyed years of family camping adventures joined by several of their closest friends. While the kids were growing up, Ann’s favorite vacations where at Mears State Park in Pentwater, Michigan where she loved walking up the sand dune with a bag of black cherries and eating all of them before running back down.

Ann and Arlo loved to square dance and belong to the Whirl-A-Ways Square Dance Club in Lansing for years.

Ann started working as the “lunch lady” at Delta Mills Public School when her youngest daughter was in 2^nd grade. She later transferred to Delta Center Public School when Delta Mills closed. She retired after 24 years.

Ann and Arlo were long time members of the Delta Mills United Methodist Church. Ann was a member of the women’s group and held many jobs. Her favorite event was the yearly ice cream social. Later they became active in the Bath V.F.W. post #4135 and enjoyed working the bingo nights.

Ann loved going to the casino and she felt it was important for her to paint her finger nails before going because the machines would “pay her for her efforts.” Every year she went with her sisters to visit their older sister in Ontonagon while stopping at every casino in the U.P. This year Ann’s trip was cut short when she had her stroke right after the sisters arrived in Standish to pick up her youngest sister.  Fortunately, Ann had spent 4 wonderful days with 2 of her sisters the days leading up to heading north and she said they stayed up late laughing and talking about the “good old days and she was thankful for that time.”

Ann loved to paint. She took classes at Ledge Craft Lane in Grand Ledge and painted some of the most beautiful pictures on canvas, old circular saw blades, shaker boxes to name a few. She sold many pieces and people from all over Michigan would call her for special painting projects as her name spread across Michigan. Ann was most proud of a barn setting which she painted on barn doors and it included a life size cow. The home owner put the doors in their home.

More than anything Ann loved her family and she was happiest when her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren came over for holiday’s, birthdays, Sunday meals or just stopped in for a visit. She loved swinging on her porch swing with the babies or for an afternoon nap. She also loved her cat, Lulu, who is missing her dearly.

Ann came from a large family of 6 sisters and 5 brothers. Surviving are her children, Catherine (Charles) Root, Patrick (Joan) Travis, and Sharon Potter; grandchildren: Chadwin (Devon) Kotke, Travis (Stephanie) Kotke, Nicholas Root, Christina (Mark) Hazel, Tracy Hazel, Heather (Brad) Mann, Jeffery (Nikki) Babcock, Brian (Elyce) Babcock. She was also blessed with 16 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Arlo Travis, her sister, Ethel, brothers, Norman, Edward, Morgan and her parents.

There will be no public service.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Lansing Stoneleigh Residence in memory of Ann Travis.