Micah Stirling Combs

This gentleman's family, as the name indicates, is of English ancestry. His grandfather, James Combs, in company of his brother William, fled from political persecution in England to this country in 1772, arriving in Virginia in time to manufacture guns for the rebels, which he conveyed from the manufactory, concealed in the mountains, to them. Just at the close of the Revolution, Mr. James Combs was married to a lady from his native land (England), by whome he had four children,--one son and three daughters. The son, James Woody Combs, was the youngest child reared, a sister sister younger than himself having been accidentally burned to death. James Woody Combs, the father of the subject of this sketch, came with his two sisters (the edlest of whom was married to a man named Wilson, of Virginia,) to East Tennessee about the year 1801, where he employed himself at various occupations--farming, brickmaking, etc.--as opportunity would offer, using his surplus money in educating himself, until the breaking out of hostilities by the Indians, against whom he for many years helped to defend civilization, and against whom, as captain, he commanded a company at the battle of Tippecanoe, under Gen. Harrison, and was with Gen. Harrison throughout his entire Indian campaign. At the close of his military career, about the age of twenty-one, he entered the law-office of the Hon. Micah Stirling, a lawyer of eminence in Troy, NY, as a student. After devoting two or three years to the study of law in this office he returned to visit his sisters in East Tennessee, and shortly afterwards permanently engaged in the practice of his profession at Pulaski, Tenn., at which place he married Miss Mary White Buford, the daughter of Capt. Charles Buford, formerly of Virginia. He practiced law in all the courts of that curcuit, and in the Supreme Court at Nashville until his death, in 1842, constantly residing in Pulaski, with the exception of a few months in Savannah, Tenn., about the year 1827. Mr. J. W. Combs and Governor A. V. Bron were the first two lawyers who commenced the practice of law in Pulaski, commencing about the same time. Very many of the prominent lawyers of the South were trained in those offices. Mr. J. W. Combs left a widow and ten children,--three sons and seven daughters,--of whom the following are dead: Mrs. Ann Augusta Bryant; Harrison, who was killed near Spring Hill, Tenn., while serving with Van Dorn's cavalary (about 1864); Mrs. Mary Ferguson, at Memphis, Tenn.; Mrs. Elizabeth Glasgow, at Iuka, Miss. The survivors of the family are Mrs. Frances E. Holmes, of Iuka; Mrs. Eveline Graves. of Pontotoe Co., Miss.; Mrs. M. J. Butler, of Nashville; Mr. James W. Combs, of Nashville; Mrs. Alice Copeland, of Itawamba Co., Miss.; and Mr. Micah Stirling Combs, who was born in Pulaski, Dec. 21, 1829. Was principally educated at Wurtemburg Academy, in that place, spending a short time also at each of several other schools, one of which was in the country, about four miles out. His first occupation was farming and the care of stock for three or four year, until he was about sixteen years old, being thirteen when his father died. Between sixteen and eigtheen he was generally traveling in several different States. At the age of eighteen (1847) Mr. Combs commenced learning to print in the office of Addison Estes, of Pulaski, at which occupation he continued about about four years in several different towns. About 1850, Mr. Combs settled in Lebanon, Wilson Co., Tenn., purchasing an interest in a journal called the Lebanon Packet, where he remained, published the Packet for about two years, which enterprise resulted very profitably. Mr. Combs at this time became sole owner and proprietor of the Packet office, which he removed to Nashville in 1852, and established the Evening News, the first evening paper ever established in the city; and of this paper Mr. Combs was editor and proprietor for about two years, which resulted in entire financial and journalistic success. He was married to Miss Mary Georgie Jackson, daughter of Daniel and Mary (née Clay) Jackson, near Nashville, in July, 1853. Soon after this Mr. Combs disposed of his printing press, and, permanently retiring from printing, embarked in the livery business. On account of his strong attachment for horses, he has, with the exception of one or two short intervals, continued ever since in this business, being at the same time always engaged in other heavy and profitable enterprises, as farming, merchandising, and trading generally. In the year 1872, Mr. Combs inaugurated the Combs Undertaking Establishment, since which time he has given his exclusive attention to the business, his livery business being conducted by employees. Mr. and Mrs. Combs are the parents of eleven children, of whom seven are living. The oldest, James A., was accidentially drowned in the Cumberland River (while bathing) in 1869. Mr. Combs is a member of the “Christian Church,” member of A.O.U.W., the order of the K. of H., of the I.O.O.F., and the Royal Arcanum Societies.

Micah S. Combs

For fifty years Micah S. Combs has been identified with the M.S. Combs & Company undertaking business of Nashville and for twenty-seven years he has been pastor of the Bellevue Christian church there. He is a descendent of one of the oldest and most honored families of Nashville and was born in that city on the 23d of May, 1856. On the paternal side he is of English descent, members of the Combs family having come to Virginia in the early colonial days. Some of his ancestors made guns for use of the Continental army during the Revolutionary war. His grandfather, James W. Combs, was one of the most prominent attorneys of his day. He lived at pulski, Tennessee, and was widely known throughout the state. Aaron V. Brown and Neil S. Brown read law in his office and they later became governors of the state. His son M.S. Combs, deceased, was the father of Micah S., whose name introduces this review, and was a native of Giles county, Tennessee. His parents located in Giles county in the early part of the nineteenth century. He established the present undertaking business at Nashville in 1872 and was activiely associated with it until his demise. In July, 1853, at Nashville, was celebrated his marriage to Miss Georgiana Jackson, who was born in that city in 1832. Six generations of the Jackson family have lived in Nashville, the first members locating there in 1804. The grandmother of Mrs. Combs was a Clay and a first cousin of Henry Clay. The Jacksons are also of English descent. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Combs eleven children were born, four sons and seven daughters, Micah S., being the second in order of birth. He and one sister, Mrs. D. F. Allen of Nashville, are now the only members of the family living. In the acquirement of his academic education Micah S. Combs attended private school of Nashville, later entered the Hughes-Minn Academy, the Montgomery Bell Academy, Crockers School, and subsequently became a student at Manchester College, Manchester. There he received a three-year literary college course, and after leaving that institution entered his father's undertaking business, with which he has since been identified. For over fifty years he has been a prime factor in the continued success of M.S. Combs & Company and since 1910 he has been sole owner and manager of the company. The M.S. Combs & Company undertaking establishment is the oldest of its kind in Nashville. It built the first chapel, etc., in the city in 1850 and Mr. Combs received the first embalmer's license ever issued in the state of Tennessee. He is cognizant of the many niceties of his profession and the success he has achieved is well merited. He has been pastor of the Bellevue Chrich church for a period of twenty-seven years and has been an edler in the Seventeenth Street Christian church for some time. He is a man of high intellectual attainments and is the author of a book of poems which was published under the title of "Poems" in 1919, by the McQuiddey Printing Company of Nashville. On the 21st of November, 1878, at Nashville, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Combs and Miss Maggie E. Averitt, a daughter of Peter Averitt of Hartsville. They have become parents of six children: George, who died at the age of twenty-nine years; Joe C., who married Miss Bertha Owens of Atlanta, Georgia, and is living in Nashville, where he is associated with his father in the undertaking business; Leila, the wife of O. L. Quillan of Nashville; Mallie, the wife of Paul E. Shaklett of Chattanooga; Elizabeth, the wife of Lackam E. Crouch, a prominent attorney of Nashville; and Marguerite Harrison. Mr. and Mrs. Combs have twelve grandchildren living and two deceased. They are as follows: George Combs, Mrs. Joe Soule of Nashville, Margaret Agnes Shaklett, Joe Shaklett of Chattanooga, O. L. Quillan, Jr., Laurie and Earl Quillan, Dorothy, Margaret and Mary Elizabeth Crouch, Francis Guy Harrison and C. B. Harrison, Jr. Mr. Combs has always given his political allegiance to the democratic party and the principles for which it stands. Although he has never sought nor desired public preferment, he is ever cognizant of the duties and responsibilities as well as the privileges of citizenship, and his influence has ever been on the side of advancement and improvement. Fraternally he is a Scottist Rite Mason and holds membership in Phoenix Lodge, No. 131, F.&A.M., of Nashville; Trinity Consistory, No. 2; Al Menah Temple of the Mystic Shrine; and he is chaplain of the blue lodge at Nashville. Mr. Combs likewise holds membershp in Osceola Tribe, No. 41, of Red Men at Nashville. For years he has been an active member of the Kiwanis Club and along strictly business lines he is identified with the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association. Mr. Combs is a close student of the living questions and issues of the day, and his opinions, publicly and privately expressed, carry considerable weight and influence. He is one of the best known and most popular men in the city, respected and honored for his conservative methods and sound business judgment. He has met the obligations of life with the confidence and courage that come of conscious personal ability, right conception of things and an habitual regard for what is best in the exercise of human activities.