Pernie Jo Travis, 90, of Benton, Kentucky, passed away on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at Lake Way Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, surrounded by her family.
Pernie was born in Benton, Kentucky, on November 19, 1935, to the late Jessie Clay Tucker and Lena Mae Peck Tucker. Pernie lived a life with a quiet strength, loving spirit, and deep faith that touched everyone who knew her.
Pernie attended Oak Valley School, a small one-room rural schoolhouse in the Oak Valley/Scale community, and eventually married the love of her life, Joe Brooks Travis. As a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Pernie’s life was centered on family and home. Earlier in her life, she chose to stay at home and devote herself to raising her two sons, Randy Travis and Brooks Travis, whom she loved dearly. She found joy in the meaningful routines of family life and took pride in creating a warm and caring home. After her two sons had grown, she spent many years working as a florist at Wood’s Florist in Benton.
Pernie enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and found happiness in the everyday moments she shared with others. She always enjoyed getting dressed up and rarely left the house without being fixed up first. She loved traveling with friends and family, whether she was browsing flea markets or visiting the Smoky Mountains. At home, Pernie’s hands were often busy making quilts and tending to her vegetable garden. She took great pride in canning her own vegetables and fruits and making her homemade jellies and preserves, which were favored by many of her friends and family.
Pernie was a long-time member of Oak Valley Church of Christ, where her faith remained an important part of her life. She was the oldest living member of the church, a title previously held by her mother, Lena Mae Tucker. Her faith-filled life was reflected in the way she treated others, with kindness, patience, and a steady spirit that touched many lives.
She is survived by her two sons, Randy Travis (LaDon) of Gilbertsville and Brooks Travis (Charlesa) of Benton; her sister, Ethel Hendrickson of Benton; four grandchildren, Misty Meyer (Jamie), Alecia Camp (Brady), Jordan Nall (Gavin), and Hannah Travis; five great-grandchildren, Jasper Wiles, Lola Camp, Ollie Camp, Beckett Nall, and Tatum Nall; several nieces and nephews; several great-neices and great-nephews, and several great-great-nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Brooks Travis; her sister, Florence Spears; and her parents, Jessie Clay Tucker and Lena May Peck Tucker.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at the Life Celebration Center of Filbeck-Cann, 1003 Poplar Street, Benton, Kentucky.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at the Life Celebration Center of Filbeck-Cann with Bro. Gary Bloomingburg and Bro. Chris Buford officiating. Burial will follow at Marshall County Memory Gardens.
To share a memory or leave a message for the family, please visit Pernie’s Tribute Wall at www.filbeckandcann.com.
