Zucchini Hors D’oeuvres, Nellie Travers

ByKara
Slice of golden zucchini hors d'oeuvre with crispy edges and hot sauce on decorative blue and white plate

William Earl Travers was just one on a list of names printed in the Evening Sun on June 20, 1945. Two killed; 18 wounded; 2 missing.

21-year-old Travers was one of the missing. Just two years earlier, the Wilmington Delaware News-Journal had reported on his engagement to Naomi Louise Roe. “The couple will live in Denton,” read the announcement.

“I felt I was fortunate to lose only one” son, Nellie Travers told the Eastern Star-Democrat in 1995. The lifelong farmer had sent four sons to World War II. While she was glad to have three of them return, the loss of William stayed with her through the years. And so, fifty years later, at age 93, Nellie Travers told the Star-Democrat she still felt the pain of William’s death. She also felt pride that her sons had served.

While her sons fought overseas in the 1940s, Nellie became a teacher for Dorchester County public schools. When she died in 1997, she was survived by 10 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and several great-great-grandchildren.

Nellie Travers at a community event, vintage black and white photograph
Nellie Travers (sitting, left) in 1995, Easton Star-Democrat

During her lifetime, Nellie Travers was recognized for her volunteer work at the Eastern Shore Hospital. I believe that this Nellie Travers also contributed two recipes to “Sharing Recipes,” a 1986 cookbook produced by the Mid-Shore Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

Some of the book’s ads are consistent with the mission of the group, which was a local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). There is a book for a recovery center for alcoholism and one for a depression program at the Dorchester General Hospital. Messages within the book also furthered the group’s mission. “You can help if you are a homeowner,” read one statement at the end of the Appetizers section, “Welcome a group home in your neighborhood. People with mental illness can be good neighbors.”

January Bride Mrs. William Earl Travers portrait photo from vintage newspaper announcement
1942

The Mid-Shore Alliance for the Mentally Ill was either folded into a general Maryland chapter of NAMI, or became “Mid-Shore Mental Health Systems, Inc.”

One of Nellie’s recipes was for a frozen fruit salad made with Dream Whip. I chose to make her appetizer using another kitchen shortcut, Bisquick. These “Zucchini Hors D’Oeuvres” weren’t exactly conversation starters but they were a nice way to use up some zucchini. Despite her volunteering, Nellie Travers didn’t make the papers very often other than the 1995 article, which came out when Nellie was honored as a Gold Star mother by the American Legion.

William Earl Travers’ ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Pacific. To his wife Naomi, two surviving officers sent a letter: “[The] performance of his duties had been outstanding. He was a fine man, a good sailor, and was held in high esteem by the officers and men of the ship.”

His death, like so many others, sent ripples back home to loved ones, altering their lives forever.

Recipe:

Ingredients for zucchini hors d'oeuvres including Bisquick pancake mix, eggs, zucchini, parmesan cheese, organic oil and fresh herbs
  • 1 Cup (Bisquick) biscuit mix
  • .5 Cup finely chopped onion
  • .5 Cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • .5 Teaspoon salt
  • .5 Teaspoon seasoning salt
  • .5 Teaspoon oregano
  • .125 Teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • .25 Cup vegetable oil
  • 4 beaten eggs
  • 3 Cups chopped zucchini

Combine all ingredients except zucchini. Mix well. Stir in zucchini. Spread in lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch Pyrex dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cut in squares. Serve warm.

Recipe from Sharing Recipes. 1986. Mid-Shore Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

Creamy zucchini hors d'oeuvres batter with herbs in amber glass bowl, Nellie Travers recipe
zucchini hors d'oeuvres garnished with herbs in a white scalloped dish, a recipe by Nellie Travers
Golden baked zucchini hors d'oeuvres garnished with hot sauce on a gray plate, appetizer recipe

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