Winnifred Katharine Stryker Travis

Winnifred Katharine Stryker was born in Lubbock, TX, the only child of Kitty and Fred Stryker.  She was named Winnifred after Kitty's best friend, Winnie, and Kitty's husband, Fred.  Their small farm of 160 acres was acquired through the Homestead Act, and is still managed within the family as a cotton farm.  

Once she was in college, earning her Masters in Teaching at Texas Tech, Winnifred went by the name of "Kathy" and was known by that name for the remainder of her life.  She met Dave Travis while living in Dallas.  He and his friend, Bill Sauerwein offered  after-hour jazz  on the roof of the YMCA as their apartment opened onto the roof, and all their friends were musicians.  Kathy arrived with a date, and somehow, married Dave Travis. 

Kathy loved gardening and working in her greenhouse, painting watercolors, and holding dinner parties for her friends and family. She was a gifted teacher of genealogy,  art, journalism, and high school English, and was beloved by her students.  After she retired in 1987, she and Dave traveled throughout the United States.  Dave took pictures, while Kathy researched both the Travis and Stryker families at libraries around the country. 

Kathy's wit and breadth of knowledge made her a particularly beloved friend, parent, and spouse.  From sewing to refinishing furniture, her creative spirit enriched any project.  

As a master of design, Kathy led the teams to design the local First Christian Church, the new Ruidoso High School (on Warrior Drive) and the solar adobe home on Snowcap Drive.  The gallery below pays tribute to the beloved family home, later offered by Susan Travis as a five-star Airbnb for over 6 years prior to 2020 when it was used in the movie, 13 Fanboy. 

Kathy passed in 1997 on September 1 of myelodysplasia,  a rare bone marrow cancer.  She is deeply missed, to this day.