Deanna Lee Repke Travis , December 17, 1936 — May 16, 2019

Deanna Lee Travis, age 82, of Livingston, died Thursday, May 16, 2019 at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Billings, MT after a short illness. A funeral service in celebration Deanna’s life will be held 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, May 23, at the Franzen-Davis Funeral Home, 118 N 3rd St. – Livingston. Viewing will be available on Wednesday, May 22, from Noon to 7:00 P.M. also at Franzen-Davis.

Burial will be at Mountain View Cemetery following the service. Deanna was the only child of Steven and Alva Repke. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan on December 17, 1936 where she grew up and received her education.

She attended the University of Michigan and received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. Deanna was a very talented woman; writer, artist, skill artisan, archer and fly-fishing instructor. She patented a process that allowed the transferring of an image to any surface.

She used this process to transfer complex images to glass for etching. She moved to Montana in the fall of 1973 with her late husband, James Birkholm. They lived in Livingston, Wilsall, Big Fork and, in the spring of 1988, they moved to Poulsbo, Washington.

They operated a glass etching business in Poulsbo for a few years and in 1997 she started an online fly-fishing publication called Fly Angler’s Online, one of the very first online fly-fishing websites. After the death of her late husband she married Neil M. Travis in Livingston on June 29, 2009. In Livingston she attended Livingston Bible Church.

With her husband she spent the winters in Tucson, Arizona where they attended Northwest Bible Church. She was preceded in death by her parents and her late husband, James Birkholm. She is survived by her husband, Neil M. Travis of the family home; stepdaughter, Barbara Travis of Lewisville, Texas, numerous friends and four daughters, Denise, Kathy, Lisa and Angie from her previous marriage.

Deanna struggled with many difficult physical issues in the last few years of her life. She lived a life full of adventures and now she has taken her greatest adventure. In the presence of the Lord Jesus she has embarked on real life in His presence for eternity.

From all the aches, pains and sorrows of this life she is now forever free. In lieu of flowers you may donate to the Livingston Bible Church or Samaritan’s Purse Ministries.

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