Larry Neal Travis

Larry Neal Travis, 76, was granted his request on May 17, 2019 to go be with his Lord and Savior, ten years after an official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Born February 25, 1943 in Bay, Arkansas, Larry was saved at the young age of nine. He spent several years away from the Lord, but by His grace and loving hand, Larry was brought back into his service. Ordained in 1977, Brother Larry, as he was known and loved, pastored several churches over his four decades in the ministry. His service spanned three states and ranged from ministries two years in length to his longest of seventeen years at Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Batesville, Arkansas. He earned his Master’s degree in Bible Languages from Oxford Baptist Institute.

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Ida Belle Brownfield, whom he called his best help and faithful critic. He counted the Brownfield family as his own relation and will be greatly missed by four brothers and three sisters. He was thankful and blessed by his relationship with Ida Belle’s two children, Ray Dean Hudson JR and his wife Norma of Letona, and Stephanie Sturch and her husband Ross of Batesville. They gave him the joy of his life, four special grandsons whom he admonished and taught to not only keep God’s word but “read the book.” His grandsons are Ray Dean Hudson III, Mason Hudson and his wife Katherine, State Senator James Sturch and his wife Macy, and Timothy Sturch, pastor of Locust Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be Thursday morning, May 23, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Qualls Batesville Funeral Service Chapel with Brother Timothy Sturch and Senator James Sturch officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Pisgah Cemetery in Letona.

Visitation will be Wednesday, May 22, 2019 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Locust Grove Missionary Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O Box 5, Locust Grove, AR 72550. This would be a fitting tribute to a man always passionate about carrying on the Lord’s work in local communities.