Roger Elloise Travenia was born on June 2, 1935, in Rita, TX, to Mattie Lee Jones and Tola Travenia. He passed away in Rice, TX on Jan. 25, 2023, at the age of 87.
Roger started working at an early age on his parent’s farm. His parents moved to Littlefield, TX where Roger graduated from Littlefield High School, married Ruby Jewell Johnson and they eventually moved to Lubbock, TX. In Lubbock, his entrepreneurial ambition surfaced twofold with the Travenia Shell at Broadway and Ave. A and the Thunderbird Club. Roger was affiliated with the Greater St. Luke Baptist Church working as an usher and driving the church bus. After his divorce, he relocated to Lansing, Michigan where he worked for General Motors, Oldsmobile Division.
Roger remarried on June 19, 1976, to Paula Jean Mackey from Columbus, Ohio, making Lansing their home. His entrepreneurial spirit took the form of real estate in Michigan, owning houses and a small apartment building. He retired in September 1990 from General Motors.
Upon returning to Texas in 1998, Roger and Paula settled on a small ranch in Rice, TX raising cattle. Roger and Paula are members of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Corsicana, TX.
Roger was quite good at gardening. He also enjoyed music, movies and telling jokes.
Funeral service was held Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Corsicana. In lieu of flowers, kindly make donations to Parkinson’s Foundation or American Heart Association in his name.