Easter Sunday Anticipated.

A party of young folks of Tebo settlement met at a place near Uncle Benjamin Combs', known as the Saltpeter Cave on Grand River, last Sunday for the purpose of celebrating Easter Sunday. There was a nice party of young folks and an abundance of everything to eat that was good and in fact it seemed like a Sunday School picnic. After dinner was served, the party imigrated to the Kasinger Bluff [JWK: Kaysinger] on the Osage [JWK now the site of the Harry Truman Dam] where they spent a short time in miscellaneous chat, then started back to their homes. The party consisted of Misses Susie, Mary and Clara Combs, Emma PRICE, Mattie and Stella GREGORY, Mary and Ella DAVENPORT and Miss Matie MINTER, Messrs. John PALMER, David GREGORY, George and Frank JONES, William GILCRIST, David MCGRANAHAM, Albert KINKEAD, Lou (Lon) GREGORY, Thomas and John Combs. Later Dick MINTER and Bob KINKEAD were on a strike out on the Sedalia Road.

"How It Was to 1900." Benton Co, MO Newspaper Article

B. B. Combs now in Dickson Co., KS., writes us that his son George and family have gone west and will continue to the sea. Benton Co. people in Dickson Co. met at the house of the father to bid them goodby, the group including 13 children and nine grandchildren and Sam KINKEAD and family, and there was a feast of provisions and everyone able for the table duty.

William Harrison Combs

He was a brother of B. B. Combs of Warsaw [Benton Co, MO] and remains where buried in the Warsaw Cemetery Jan 12. He was born in 1833 near Lexington [Fayette Co], KY. His grandfather Benj. Combs was a Captain in the Continental Army and was at the battle of Yorktown where Cornwallis surrendered. He was an early emigrant from VA to KY, settled near Boonsborough on the KY river. He and his sons had many skirmishes with the Indians, in which one or two lost their lives. The father of the deceased, Wm. R. Combs, and four or five of his brothers, among them Gen. Lesslie [Leslie] and Sam, were soldiers and officers under General HARRISON in the War of 1812. The deceased was at Translvania University at Lexington [Fayette Co] KY. A moral man, never drank, played cards nor used profane or vulgar languare [language]. Came to MO in 1853, joined the Christian Church in 1854, was married to Judge PYLE'S daughter in 1855. They gave their children a college education at Emporia [Lyon Co] KS, then a seperation took place, his wife and children going to California. He shared his property liberally and lived a lonely life on a farm he bought near Cherryvale.

"Coming Home"

Charlie and Russell Combs, of Cripple Creek [Teller Co], Colo. two young men from Lindsey township who have been west for two years, have bought the Mrs. Mary ORR farm of 120 acres, three miles northwest of Warsaw, for $1500 and expect to return and live on the place next fall. When John B. Combs now in Colo. brought the Matt BLANTON farm, his brothers concluded that old Benton was the place for them too. All these sons of B. B. Combs and the old gentleman himself have thoroughly tried the western country and are returning to MO. Benton Co. is coming forward and the pace will be more rapid when all appreciate the country they live in. Robert KINKEAD transacted the buying for the Combs brothers. It is reported that Matt BLANTON is not satisfied in Texas and is likely to return to his old home too.

Wild Turkey Hunting.

J. B. Combs of Los Angeles [Los Angeles Co, CA] writes The Enterprise some reminisces of his boyhood. He says he was born in Bates Co. [MO] Dec. 15, 1863 on what was known to the old timers as the Cold Friday, as a great deal of stock and several people were frozen to death that day. When we was seven, his father settled on Grand River, not far from Black Sulpphur Springs and he lived there until he was 22. When he was a boy, he recalls he used to swipe his father's rifle and practice shooting and a few years later he'd hunt wild turkeys up around the old Clarks' Ford bluff. In the spring he would take the wing bone of a chicken or my father's old pipe stem and go out in the hills and call in the turkeys. I killed a great many that way and would quite ofter find them roosting in the trees under the Clark Ford Bluff. On Sept. 1, 1885 Mr. Combs started to Texas with Bob KINEAD, George BLANTON and family, all in covered wagons.

“Bob and I each had a good horse and a new wagon together. I was 22. At the Indian Territory line, we met an old man we felt sorry for, so we took him along to Texas with us, separating at the Red River.”

Laura Valentine Combs(includes photograph)

The subject of this sketch was born near Warsaw, Benton Co., MO March 19, 1862 and went to sleep in Jesus May 19, 1918 being fifty-six years and two months old. The remains were laid to rest in the Mt. Olive Cemetery May 19, 1918. She was the daughter of Albert and Rebecca KINKEAD who resided near Warsaw, but who had long since preceded her to the better land. She professed faith in Christ at the age of 17 years and united with the Spring Grove Baptist Church. She was married to George Clift Combs, Aug. 5, 1880. To this union seven children were born, three of which preceded her on before, Frankie Rebecca, Samuel Leslie and Allie Arminda. She leaves a host of relatives and friends to mourn her death. They who survive her are her husband, George Clifton Combs and children, Benjamin Blanton, Albert Clay, Robert Lee and Winnie May. All the immediate family were at her bedside at the time of her departure. The brothers and sisters, who survive are Sam, Robert and Albert KINKEAD, Mary Ann MINTER of Warsaw, Crissie COE of Chilhowee, MO and a left brother Jodie KINKEAD of Mont Rose, Colo. Her christian life was very active. She helped organize two new churches, Green Mound Baptist near Highlandville, Christian Co., MO and Spring Valley Bapt. Church Polk Co., MO of which she remained a member until her death.

George Combs & Family (Photograph)

George B. Combs married Laura Valentine KINKEAD, daughter of Albert Sr. and Rebecca Orr KINKEAD. George Combs' father was B. B. Combs and his mother Esther LUDWIG Combs. They were the parents of Ben, Albert, Robert Winnie, Frankie, Samuel and Allie. Albert is standing next to his father George in this picture and Ben is on the other side next to his mother Laura. The other two children are not identified, but are probably family members. The family moved to Polk Co. in 1899.

Combs Family Gathering about 1915 (Photograph)

This was taken at the C. L. Combs' home about four miles northwest of Warsaw near Grand River. The house burned over forty years ago and the smokehouse is all that remains now. This farm is being taken by Kaysinger Dam. Left to right are, Milt KINKEAD, John HALLEY, Erma KINKEAD, Henry KINKEAD, Ora KINKEAD, Samuel KINKEAD, Roy KINKEAD, Mary Ann KINKEAD, Faye HALLEY, Aunt Jessie Combs, Uncle Ben MINTER, Albert KINKEAD, Sophie KINKEAD, Uncle Sam KINKEAD. Children are Hallie KINKEAD, Wilma KINKEAD, J. B. Combs, Estel KINKEAD and George KINKEAD.

Spring Grove, Benton Co, MO. (Map)

Former home of Charles and Jessie Combs. The house burned years ago and the farm was later owned by Mike KINKEAD and last by Dan ALBER. (Excerpted by Combs Researcher Joyce Kahre from History of Benton County Missouri, Vol. 3, 1971, The Communities and Stores, Page 507 A map of Spring Grove with numbers to indicate the location of homes.)