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 ILLIAM H. COMBS, located on section 19,
Morgan Township, is the son of William
and Margaret (Myers) Combs, and was
born in Clark County, Ind., Dec. 20, 1844. The
father of our subject was born near Pittsburgh,
Pa., and died in Clark County, Ind., when forty-five years of age. He had emigrated to that State
in early manhood during its first settlement, when
many of the people took refuge in the forts as a
protection against the Indians. The father of William Combs, Sr., was a native of Wales. The maternal grandfather of our subject was of German parentage and born in Pennsylvania. He grew to manhood in his native State, and going to Spencer County. Ky., located there, reared a family, and remained a resident until quite old. He then went to Clark County, Ind., where he died at the home of his son-in-law, William Combs, Sr., at the age of ninety-three years. Grandmother Myers had died in Kentucky when seventy-six years of age. Their family consisted of nine children, all now deceased, and two of whom spent their last days in Indiana, Grandfather Myers was a cabinet-maker by trade, with which he occupied himself in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, and being fond of country life also purchased a farm and carried on agriculture. There is in the family of Mrs. Cofer, a sister, a large sideboard which was made by Grandfather Myers and is greatly valued as a relic of the past. William Combs, Sr., learned the trade of a shoemaker when a young man, which he followed during the early part of his life, principally in the winter seasons, and manufactured the shoes for his family after he was married. Miss Margaret Myers became his wife in the spring of 1823, in Spencer County, Ky., whence they afterward migrated to Clark County, Ind., where they remained until June 1. 1853. They then came to this county and located on a part of the land which is the present home of our subject. William Combs, Sr., first purchased 352 acres of land for which he paid $10 per acre. Of this eighty acres were fenced, and there had been built a log house, which the family occupied for a number of years. In about 1855, Mr. C. put up the dwelling which is now occupied by his son, our subject, and the lumber for which was hauled by teams from Terre Haute, Ind. Mr. Combs finally became the owner of 618 acres of land, but had parted with considerable of it at the time of his death. At the settlement of the estate, his son William received forty-five acres. William Combs, Sr., died on the homestead which he had established in this county, Sept. 1 , 1874, being in the seventy-second year of his age. The children of the parental family were nine in number, viz., Sarah Ann, Mary J., Jessie, Nancy B., Catherine, Maggie J., William II., Rachel E. and John. The mother of these children departed this life on the 2d of July. 1881, having survived her husband nearly seven years. She had been a devoted member of the Christian Church for a period of forty-one years, and with her husband had trained up her children in the same faith. The father of our subject had been a Deacon in this Church from 1854 to the time of his death. He was social and genial in his nature, and delighted to talk about one adventure in his life when he joined twenty or thirty of his neighbors and Marled on a bear hunt. Tradition does not state how many animals they found or killed, but there is no doubt but that the honest old pioneers made of it a very enjoyable occasion. The subject of this sketch owns 175 acres of good land which was a part of the old homestead of his father, and where he has resided since a boy of nine years old. Here he developed into manhood and was married, Oct. 9, 1874, to Miss Marietta Lippincott, of Morgan Township. The wedding occurred at the home of the bride’s parents, and the happy pair took a trip to the capital of the State, making an examination of the public buildings and visiting other points of interest. Upon their return they settled contentedly down to housekeeping, and since then have been living quietly and contentedly, rearing their children and enjoying the confidence and esteem of their neighbors. Of their union there were born five children, viz., Ollie May, who died when an interesting little girl of four years; Clara Williams; Freddie B., Nellie and Elmore. Mr. Combs and his family occupy a substantial and commodious dwelling, and the barns and outhouses are in keeping with the general thrift and enterprise of the proprietor. Our subject, politically, is a reliable Republican, and with his wife, a member in good standing of the Christian Church, in which he was reared. He keeps himself well posted upon current events, is interested in the welfare of his community, and has served as School Director for the past five or six years. |
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