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A.B. (Bige) Combs was elected Sheriff of Perry County [KY] in 1913 and served from 1914 to 1918, politician, farmer, dealer in livestock and real estate. All four (4) of his children received college degrees and the oldest son, Arnold, graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School [Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co, MI] and specialized in ear, nose and throat. The two (2) daughters were teachers and the youngest son majored in agriculture and is a real estate broker.
His ancestry is:
MASON COMBS
b. 1714, in King Parrish County, Virginia.
d. 1785, Surry County, North Carolina
m. Sarah _____.
NICHOLAS (Danger) COMBS, son of Mason Combs
b. 1737, in King Parrish County, Virginia.
d. _____ in Perry County, Kentucky.
m. Nancy Grigsby, daughter of Thomas Grigsby. Nicholas Combs was called "Danger" because, it is said, he had an irascible temper.
NICHOLAS (BIRD EYE) COMBS, son of Nicholas (Danger) Combs
b. 1792
d. _____
m. Elizabeth Combs in June 5, 1816, Floyd County, Kentucky
d. _____
GRANVILLE COMBS, son of Nicholas (Bird Eye) Combs.
b. 1825
d. 1895
m. Melinda Brashear, 1st wife.
m. _____, 2nd wife
m. Alice (Dutch) Combs, 3rd wife, daughter of Jesse Combs.
Alice was born 1834 [1829] and died 1916.
Granville Combs had one son, Robert, by first wife, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Martha Ann by second wife.
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CRUSOE COMBS, son of Granville Combs
b. 1858
d. January 6, 1889
m. Nancy Maggard Combs in 1880.
Nancy was born April 22, 1858 and died June 14, 1906.
ABIJAH (BIGE) BENJAMIN COMBS, son of Crusoe Combs.
b. October 18,1882
d. January 29, 1955
m. Ollie Baker Combs in May 7, 1903. She was born September 2, 1889 and died January 16, 1967.
Their children:
Arnold B. Combs
b. April 16, 1907
m. Nancye Covington of Richmond [Madison Co], Kentucky in [on] June 30, 1940. .Nancye was born April 5, 1916.
Zola Combs Smoot
b. January 15,1911
m. H. French Smoot of Maysville [Mason Co], Kentucky October 27, 1934. H. French Smoot was born May 30, 1910.
Goldie Combs Zimmerman
b. May 28, 1912
m. Kenneth Zimmerman, of Grandview [Daviess or Monroe Cos, KY] August 21, 1934. Kenneth Zimmerman was born April 7, 1911.
Eugene H. Combs.
b. May 30, 1915
m. Kathryn Reed of Logan [Co], West Virginia October 4, 1942.
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Bert T. Combs was born in Clay County, Kentucky, on August 13, 1911. He acquired his formal education in the Clay County Schools, attended Cumberland College, Williamsburg [Whitley Co], Kentucky, and the University of Kentucky [Lexington, Fayette Co], where he received his law degree. He practiced law in Manchester [Clay Co], Prestonsburg [Floyd Co], Lexington [Fayette Co] and Louisville [Jefferson Co], Kentucky. He was a Judge of the Court of Appeals, Kentucky's highest appellate court. He was elected and served as Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1959 through 1963. He was appointed Judge of the United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, in Cincinnati [Hamilton Co], Ohio.
MASON COMBS
b. 1714, Kings Parrish County, Virginia.
d. 1785, Surrey County, North Carolina.
m. Sarah Richardson, d. 1822
WILLIAM COMBS, son of Mason Combs.
b. November 28,1740, Overwharton Parish [Stafford Co], Virginia
m. Nell Cloud
JOHN COMBS, son of William Combs.
b. 1759
d. Washington County, Kentucky.
m. Margaret _____ 1848.
JOHN COMBS, JR. (JACK), son of John Combs.
b. 1792
d. _____
m. Rebecca Combs
second wife, Elizabeth Hunt Williams
MEREDITH COMBS, son of John Combs, Jr. (Jack)
b. 1825
d. 1909
m. Esther Allen, October 3, 1846, in Clay County, Kentucky.
LEE COMBS, son of Stephen Combs
b. 1851
d. 1908
m. Louisa Nantz, who was born 1850 and died in 1930.
194
STEPHEN G. COMBS, son of Lee Combs
b. June 22, 1884
d. 1965
m. Martha Jones Combs, who was born March 18, 1887, and died March 1, 1955.
BERT THOMAS COMBS
b. August 13, 1911
m. (1) Mable Hall (2) Helen Rechtin
Lois Ann Combs
b. December 18, 1943.
m. William R. Weinberg
Thomas Combs
b. May 16, 1945.
195
Earle Bryan Combs was born May 14, 1899, in Owsley County, Kentucky. He acquired his formal education in the Owsley County Schools and attended Eastern State Teachers College, now Eastern Kentucky University, at Richmond [Madison Co], Kentucky. He played baseball for the Louisville Colonels, and from there went to the New York Yankees, where he played with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and was a playing member of the great World Champion Yankee team of 1929. He is a member of the "Baseball Hall of Fame". He is a member of the Board of Regents of the Eastern Kentucky University. He has business interests in Richmond, including the operation of a bluegrass farm near Richmond, Kentucky.
His ancestry is:
MASON COMBS
b. 1714, Kings Parrish County, Virginia.
d. 1785, Surry County, North Carolina
m. Sarah Richardson
d. 1822
NICHOLAS COMBS, son of Mason Combs
b. 1737, in King Parrish County, Virginia.
d. _____, In Perry County, Kentucky.
m. Nancy Grigsby, daughter of Thomas Grigsby.
Nicholas Combs was called "Danger" because, it is said, he had an irascible temper.
SAMUAL [SAMUEL] COMBS, son of "Danger Nick" Combs.
b. January 16,1799.
d. November 11,1881.
m. Nancy Cornett on December 23, 1819, she was born December 24, 1803 and died May 15, 1885.
WILLIAM (BILLY) COMBS, son of Samuel Combs.
b. January 27,1823.
d. February 20, 1892.
m. Letha Ann Begley, who died in 1858.
Second marriage to Mary Preston Herndon Burke, widow of Daniel Burke. She was born September 28, 1821 and died in 1898.
196
JAMES JESSE COMBS, son of William (Billy) Combs.
b. February 29, 1860.
d. January 29, 1941.
m. Nancy Brandenburg September 3, 1888.
She was born January 7, 1869 and died October 23, 1948.
Their children were:
Matt B. Combs
Elsie Seale
Addie Brandenburg
Allie Thomas
Earle Bryan Combs
Conley Combs
Clayton Combs
EARLE BRYAN COMBS, son of James Jesse Combs.
b. May 14, 1899, Owsley County, Kentucky.
m. Ruth McCollum on October 16, 1922.
She was born the 13th day of November, 1901.
Their children are:
Bryan
Earle Bryan Combs, Jr. b. May 20, 1925. First wife, Eulalie Smith. Children: Earle B. III, b. 10-4-45, Teresa Ruth, b. 6-26-49. Second wife, Lilly McWhorter. Children: Steven Bryan, b. 4-4-60, Laura, b. 12-24-62.
Charles Clayton Combs, b. August 27, 1927. m. Betty Joe Clark 6-30-51. Children: Charles Clayton, Jr., b. 4-20-53, Clark Carrier, b. 6-22-55, Craig Campbell, b. 2-17-58.
Donald Gentry Combs, b. September 1, 1931. m. Pauline Coyle b. 12-11-33. Children: Cheryl Susan, b. 1-3-55, Nancy Catherine, b. 9-22-56, Paula Carol, b. 11-23-60, Donald G., b. 10-4-62.
197
The name Leslie Combs and his Spendthrift Farm near Lexington [Fayette Co], Kentucky are synonymous with thoroughbred racing in the United States as well as other countries. The prominence of this distinguished Combs is no accident. His great grandfather was a General and prominent citizen of Kentucky. His grandfather was an American Ambassador. Leslie graduated from Centre College in [Danville, Robertson Co] Kentucky. He was a member of the legendary "Praying Colonels" football team when Centre stunned the sportsworld by defeating Harvard 6-0.
His ancestry is:
....JOSEPH COMBS, of Stafford County, Virginia.
b. Around 1685.
d. Around 1756.
m. First to Ann _____. Second to Hannah _____.
JOHN COMBS, son of Joseph Combs.
d. 1785.
m. Seth Harrison Bullit around 1744. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Elizabeth Harrison Bullitt.
CAPTAIN BENJAMIN COMBS, son of John Combs.
b. 1749 in Stafford County, West Virginia [sic].
d. 1838 in Clark County, Kentucky.
m. Sarah Richardson, who was born in 1750 and died in 1816.
GENERAL LESLIE COMBS, son of Captain Benjamin Combs.
b. November 28, 1793 in Clark County, Kentucky.
d. August 22, 1881.
m. Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Bishop Thomas Church Brownell.
LESLIE COMBS, son of General Leslie Combs
m. Mary C., daughter of Daniel Swigert.
DANIEL COMBS, son of Leslie Combs.
m. Annette Brodhead.
198
LESLIE COMBS II, son of Daniel Combs.
b. 1901.
m. Dorothy Enslow in 1924. She died November 19, 1968.
Their children are: Leslie Brownell Combs and Juliette Buffington Combs Trapp.