Travis Baird

Travis Lee Baird of Neodesha went to join his grandfather in Heaven on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. He was 47.

A funeral service will be held at Christ Church on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 10:30 a.m. under the direction of the Loran Fawcett Chapel. Pastor Dave Cheshier will officiate. The family will receive friends at Christ Church on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 6-8 p.m.

A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Brewster Cemetery in Brewster, KS.

Travis was born to Airman Terry and JoAnne Cook on Sept. 24, 1969 at St. Thomas Hospital in Colby, KS. He was later adopted by Bruce Baird. As a child, he grew up on the farm in Sherman County and attended Brewster School. He attended 7th grade at Goodland Junior High where he was on the football and wrestling teams. In 1984, he moved with his mother and siblings, Lynn, B. J. and Chanda, to Neodesha where he attended Neodesha High School. He was a percussionist in the Neodesha High School band. Travis earned his high school diploma from Lawrence Dumont High School and was a speaker at his graduation. He attended Wichita State University where he studied art. Travis was united in marriage to Tammy Kitch in December of 1989. The couple and their son, Levi, made their home on the Hartley family farm for a time where Travis assisted his grandparents, Willard and Joan Hartley, in their farming operation. He had his own flock of sheep and a field of sunflowers. He later was employed as a road crew welder for A-Lert in Fredonia. While with A-Lert, he worked in several states and lived in both Georgia and Indiana. During that time, he was blessed with a daughter, Jade.
Following his divorce from Tammy, he married Leissa Fogleman. They were blessed with one son, Nakai. They were later divorced. Travis moved to the Nashville, TN, area where he continued to work in the construction industry as a certified master welder, millwright, and crane operator. One of his proudest accomplishments was his role in the construction of the stadium in which the Tennessee Titans of the NFL now play.
In 2015, he returned to Neodesha.

He is survived by his parents, JoAnne and Terry Harper, of Neodesha and Bruce and Donita Baird of Brewster; his grandmother, Joan Hartley, of Neodesha; three children, Levi, Jade and Nakai; two brothers, Terry L. Baird, and his wife, Cassandra, of Skiatook, OK, and Bruce J. Baird, and his wife, Brooke, of rural Neodesha; a sister, Chanda Shelton, and her husband, Rob, of Neodesha; his step-siblings, Quinn Jones and family of Roeland Park, KS, Abbey Thomas and family of Parkville, MO, and Wyatt Harper and family of Fort Campbell, KY, and J.R Baird and family of Thornton, CO, and Heath Baird and family of Cummings, GA; four grandchildren; and nieces and nephews, Devin, Koy, Justice, Brynn, Madison, Cameron, Jack, Charlotte, George, Jane, Kate, Caroline, Braxtyn, Braelyn, and Easton; two great-nieces, Juniper and Willow; his aunt, Judy Siruta of Goodland and his aunts and uncles, Jackie and Gary Witherspoon of Shell Knob, MO, Kathy and Gerald Koehn of Scott City, KS; and his special friend, Melissa Mendoza and her son, Tanner of LaVergne, TN. Preceding him in death were his beloved grandfather, Willard Hartley, grandparents, Bennie and Cornelia Baird; a cousin, Ryan Connor; and his aunt, Jan McNerney.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Neodesha High School Band Boosters.
To leave an online condolence, please visit www.loranfawcettchapel.com

Visitation

Christ Church
1002 Elm
Neodesha, KS  66757
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Service

Funeral Service

Christ Church
1002 Elm
Neodesha, KS  66757
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
10:30am

Cemetery

Brewster Cemetery
Brewster, KS  67732

Memorial Contributions

Neodesha High School Band Boosters
Neodesha, KS  66757