Wilma Jean Langston Travis was born January 25, 1925 on the Langston Homestead in Possum Valley southeast of Thurman to Lawrence Calvin Langston and Effie Mae (Freeman) Langston. She attended the Possum Valley School, southeast of Thurman and later Brightside. She attended Sidney School after her elementary years and later Thurman High School. Her family attended the Baptist Church at Knox and Thurman Methodist Church after moving to Thurman. There were 13 children in the family, 9 girls and 4 boys.

She eloped with Carl Glen Travis on September 14, 1940 and was married in Rock Port, MO. They lived in Thurman for one year, then moved to a farm one-half mile north of town where they lived for 9 years then returned to Thurman. Carl and Jean always had a huge garden, grape and raspberry vines and fruit trees which they shared with family, friends and neighbors. Jean spent a lot of time baby sitting with her grandchildren and later great grandchildren, teaching them the value of hard work and fun times as well. She was a good cook and insisted her family come to dinner every Sunday and on Holidays. If you didn't show up, you heard about it. All the town kids knew where to go to get homemade popcorn balls at Halloween. Even some adults would come. When Carl and the guys went hunting, they had to handpick feathers from all the geese they shot for her to make feather pillows. In her free time, she made many quilts. She receive compliments about her work from a church group lady, Ida Mae Tucker. (Her written statement) "The workmanship of this quilt is awesome. The pattern, Grandmother's Garden, is not an easy pattern. Hand stitching pieces of polyester that is stretchy is so beautifully done. You have a great piece of legacy here."

Jean worked at Ocoma Foods in Nebraska City when her children were growing up and later at Hennesee Foods in Malvern. She cooked at Tabor Manor for a year and worked at Unitog sewing for 3 years. She was a caretaker and volunteered as a Foster Grandparent at Glenwood State Hospital School for 5 years until her husband had a stroke. She left to care for him in their home until he continued having strokes that required more care. Jean returned as a Foster Grandparent volunteer at Glenwood after Carl's death. She received many Certificates of Appreciation for Outstanding Service in the Program and had the honor of giving a speech at the Foster Grandparent/Senior Companion annual recognition luncheon in Council Bluffs on May 2, 2008. Jean was with the program until the program no longer provided transportation for the out of town volunteers.

Jean had many friends but Dementia was her greatest enemy.

Preceding her in death was her husband, Carl; 1 grandson, David McConahay; 7 sisters, Edna Tomey, Mildred Fredrickson, Lola Churchill, Marguarite Barton, Maxine Story, Winnifred Andersen, and Kathleen Embree; 4 brothers, a still born baby boy, Floyd Langston, Eldon Langston and Gilbert Langston. Survivors include 2 sons, Rex (Carolyn) Travis and Glen (Susan) Travis; 2 daughters, Katherine (Billy) McConahay all of Thurman, IA and Judith (Gary) Farwell of Randolph, IA; 6 grandsons, 5 granddaughters, 13 great grandsons, 7 great granddaughters, 2 great great grandsons, 3 great great granddaughters; very special friend, Gloria Schroder of Thurman; numerous nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.