Dorris Traver

It is impossible to look at the life of Dorris Traver and not see the fingerprint of the Lord she loved throughout her tapestry in time. She was a vivid reflection of what it means to be the hands and feet of her Savior, and her Bible provided her with comfort, healing, and rebirth as she learned to again embrace the language she once knew. A gracious and humble woman, Dorris was a mentor to countless young women within her reach. With the love of her life by her side for the best years of her life, she brought so much joy and hope to the communities in which they served and in so doing, made a significant impact in the lives of those too numerous to count.

As the year 1920 dawned, America was transforming from being a nation at war to a nation of peace with the end of WWI in 1919. We were recognized as a world leader for the first time and as a result, nations looked to us to set the pace for what was to come. This was a time of great anticipation for one young family from Alma, Michigan, as they were eagerly awaiting the birth of their new baby. Their wait was over on January 18th of that year when Dorris made her arrival. She was welcomed into the already bustling family of Ford and Nona (Stearns) Lutz as one of the middle of nine children. Dorris’s father worked as a truck driver and also built their home in Lansing.

The vibrant decade that became known as the Roaring Twenties gave way to the dark days of the Great Depression of the thirties. These were days of great struggle when countless Americans found themselves without jobs and without homes. As a child of this decade, Dorris learned to be resourceful and to do much with little. She attended local schools and graduated from Lansing Central High School in 1938 as the class valedictorian.

Life was forever changed for Dorris when she attended a church camp meeting. While she was singing in the choir that fateful day she caught the eye of a young man named Verian Traver. Although they had never met, Verian told his companion next to him that the young Dorris was the woman he would marry one day. It took Dorris some time to warm up to Verian, but after some time the couple found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to build a life together, Dorris and Verian were married on October 2, 1941.

Together Dorris and Verian were blessed with three children: Verian D., Jeanette, and Judy. They also ministered together as Verian became an ordained minister in the Free Methodist Church before changing to the Nazarene Church. Dorris and Verian created a dynamic team in whatever church they were called to serve, commonly called “Uniters” and "Church Builders". Through the years they were ministered in Bad Axe, Morenci, and Flint. Once they retired, Dorris and Verian moved to Vicksburg where they lived at the Nazarene Campground on Indian Lake.

Like the most vibrant of hues, Dorris’s faith was the most recurring color throughout her brilliant journey. She was fully devoted to the Nazarene faith, and she loved her Bible more than anything else on this side of heaven. After suffering a stroke in the mid-nineties, it was reciting the Bible verses that were inscribed on her heart that served as the therapy Dorris used to learn to read and speak once again. The twenty-third Psalm was the verse that she recited most often during her therapy.

Throughout her life there were so many things that Dorris embraced. First was always her love for her Lord followed by her love for her family. Everything that came out of Dorris’s kitchen was extraordinary, and she considered it a privilege to cook for those she loved. Among her most requested dishes was her pizza that was second to none. Thanksgiving was always a monumental holiday for Dorris and her family through the years as with so many ministers in the family, it was the one time a year where they could all gather together. She was overjoyed that their family grew to include four grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. If there was ever something Dorris wanted to know how to do or something she wanted to know more about, she was not afraid to take matters into her own hands by getting a book and figuring it all out. She spent some time knitting and crocheting, and she also wrote a lot of poetry. There was nothing Dorris loved more than a good road trip - although no road trip was complete without climbing a hill that beckoned to her. It was not uncommon for her to have Verian pull the car over so the whole family could climb the hill that called her name. Dorris always loved music and took part in numerous programs as the years went by.

Through the life she lived each day, Dorris Traver inspires us in so many ways. She taught us to love deeply, to give freely, and to cherish each moment we are given whether we find ourselves on the highest of mountaintops or in the lowest of valleys laden with sorrow. Dorris was determined and passionate about the things she believed in and was accompanied by a graceful strength that is to be admired. Although we will miss her deeply, we find comfort in knowing that death has no sting for those who believe and that we will see her again one day.

Dorris E. Traver of Vicksburg died on Saturday, September 10, 2011. Doris’s family includes her two daughters: Jeanette Traver, of Adrian and Judy Frey, of Wauseon, OH; daughter-in-law: Sheila (George) Balmer, of Lansing; four grandchildren: Beth, Mark, Darcy, and Shannon and 11 great grandchildren; siblings: Howard Lutz, of Lansing; Ernest Lutz, of Mason; Roland Lutz, of Holt; and Betty Dravenstatt, of CA. Dorris was preceded in death by her husband: Rev. Verian W. Traver; son, Rev. Verian D. Traver; two sisters: Ila Balog and Verona Finch; two brothers: Virgil and Harold Lutz; and son-in-law: Randy Frey. The family will receive friends on Thursday, from 10-11 a.m. at the Chapman Memorial Nazarene Church. Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 11 a.m. at the same location. Burial will take place at the Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Lansing. The family is being assisted by Life Story Funeral Home, 409 S. Main St., Vicksburg (649-1697). Please visit Dorris’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can leave a memory or sign her memory book online before coming to the funeral home. In lieu of flowers those who wish may make donations to Kairos Dwelling and/or Chapman Memorial Nazarene Church.