Brief Life History of William Nelson
When William Nelson Travis was born on 19 June 1894, in Arcadia Township, Lapeer, Michigan, United States, his father, Sillamon Travis, was 41 and his mother, Florence M Koyl, was 34. He married Bera Dee Lawrence on 30 November 1920, in Isabella, Delta, Michigan, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons. He lived in Union Township, Isabella, Michigan, United States for about 40 years and Grant Township, Iosco, Michigan, United States for about 1 years. He died on 12 April 1991, in Mount Morris, Genesee, Michigan, United States, at the age of 96, and was buried in Mount Morris, Genesee, Michigan, United States.
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Family Time Line
Sources (16)
- William Tranis, "United States 1950 Census"
- William Travis, "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954"
- Wm Travis, "Michigan, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (8)
1896 · Plessy vs. Ferguson
A landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities if the segregated facilities were equal in quality. It's widely regarded as one of the worst decisions in U.S. Supreme Court history.
1903 · Ford Motor Company
"Henry Ford built his first gasoline-powered vehicle, named the Quadricycle, in 1896, at his home in Detroit. Ford sold the Quadricycle for $200 and used the money to build a second car. In 1901, Ford raced his car ""Sweepstakes"" against Alexander Winton and won. The victory resulted in publicity for Ford which allowed him to gain investors for his new company, Ford Motor Company. The first Model A was sold on July 23, 1903, and the company was incorporated on November 13, 1903."
1920
The Prohibition Era. Sale and manufacture of alcoholic liquors outlawed. A mushrooming of illegal drinking joints, home-produced alcohol and gangsterism.
Name Meaning
English (mainly Lancashire and Yorkshire): from Old French and Middle English travers, also Middle English travas, travis, a word with several meanings. It may denote a toll paid for the right to cross a boundary or bridge, the surname perhaps being for someone who paid or collected such tolls. Alternatively, it may mean ‘crosswise, sideways’ or ‘dispute, disagreement’. The Old French word also had the sense ‘crossing, passage’, and it is more than likely that the surname is Norman in origin, for someone who lived at a crossing place or at a place so named (compare French Travers 3). The presence of the preposition ‘de’ (and perhaps also ‘le’) in early forms of the surname appears to indicate a topographic or habitational explanation, but the French preposition and definite article were sometimes added gratuitously to Norman surnames as a sign of their high social status. See also Travers 1.
Americanized form of German Drewes .
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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