The Combs Family of Grant
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Many to Mourn (photo) Mrs. Combs Was a Woman of Remarkable Christian Character. Mrs. Mary C. Combs, widow of G. Edmond Combs, died at the family home near Grant, March 8, from an illness which began last October. Mary Cornelia Orcutt was born in Remsen August 28, 1849, daughter of the late David and Almira Burleson Orcutt. Except for a few years in Marcy, her girlhood was spent in Remsen. She became the wife of Mr. Combs on Christmas day, 1867, in Clayville. Soon afterward they purchased the Derrick farm in Grant which has since been the family home. Mr. Combs died March, 1898. Mrs. Combs was a woman of strong Christian character. She was a member of the Free Baptist Church and lived her religion by giving her life to the service of others. She also had faith that all would be cared for if they did right. Nor was her life cast in particularly pleasant lines. Mr. Combs was ill for 30 years before his death but his wife never despaired nor lost courage.
Three daughters survive, Mrs. A. F. Hoffmeister and Mrs. Albert F. Partello, of Hoffmeister, Hamilton county, and Miss Nettie J. Combs of Grant, upon whom Mrs. Combs depended during her later years; one son, Charles E. Combs, of Utica; four grandchildren, George F. Hoffmeister, of Camp Mills; Mrs. Herbert V. Edmonds, of Herkimer; Roger Partello [sic], of Hoffmeister, and Kenneth L. Combs, of Utica; one sister, Mrs. Lois Combs, of Herkimer and two brothers, Robert C. Orcutt, of Buffalo, and Frank Orcutt. The funeral was held last Wednesday at the Union Church in Grant and interment was made in Woodin's Corners Cemetery. |
Children of George Edmond Combs and Mary Cornelia Orcutt:
1.4.3.1. George E. Combs was born in 1868.
1.4.3.2. Mary Josephine Combs (Phenie) was born February 11, 1871.
1.4.3.3. Charles E. Combs was born in 1873.
1.4.3.4. Nettie J. Combs was born in Apr 1878.
1.4.3.5. Eva M. Combs was born in Jul 1882.
1.4.4. Mary Jane Combs married Alexander ("Alec") Truman. He was born May 1836 in NY. Mary Jane died between 1910 and 1920 and Alexander died between 1920 and 1930. They resided in Newport, Herkimer county, NY.
Child of Alexander Truman and Mary Jane Combs:
1.4.4.1. Charles Truman was born about 1864.
1.4.6. Imogene ("Genie") Combs was born Nov 1850 and married about 1873 Jacob Henry Simons. They resided in Troy, NY in 1880 and 1900 census records.
Children of Genie Combs and Jacob Henry Simons:
1.4.6.2. Imogene Simons was born about 1873 died between 1880 and 1900
1.4.6.1. George Henry Simons was born 21 Jul 1878
Fourth Generation
1.4.1.4. Joseph Combs was born in Apr 1875 and died about 1939, a son of Jacob Ezra Combs and Lois Jane Orcutt. He was married about 1896 to Sarah Bellinger who died about 1943.
Children of Joseph Combs and Sarah Bellinger:
1.4.1.4.1. Joseph L. Combs was born May 11, 1897.
1.4.1.4.2. Ernest Arthur Combs was born June 1897?.
1.4.1.4.3. Genievive Combs died before 1900.
1.4.1.4.4. Harold Jacob Combs was born February 10, 1900.
1.4.1.5. Adelaide Mae Combs was born November 11, 1877 in Grant, NY and died May 11, 1954 in Utica, NY. She was married about 1906 to Franklin Herbert Bellinger who was born August 16, 1871 and died June 26, 1933 in Herkimer, NY.
Children of Adelaide Mae Combs and Franklin Herbert Bellinger:
1.4.1.5.1. Mildred C. Bellinger was born about 1907.
1.4.1.5.1. Frank Russell Bellinger was born about 1908.
1.4.1.5.2. Charles S. Bellinger was born February 14, 1910.
1.4.1.5.3. George Bellinger was born November 28, 1911.
1.4.1.5.4. Dorthea Bellinger was born about 1915.
1.4.1.5.5. Rowena Bellinger was born about 1917.
1.4.1.5.6. Victor Stanley Bellinger was born about 1918.
1.4.1.5.7. William R. Bellinger was born about 1923.
Grant - Looking toward front of Grant Hotel
from the bridge.
(Click Image to Enlarge)
1.4.1.8. Effie Emmagene Combs b: April 19, 1884. She was married about 1904 to Marvil Joseph Higgins. He was born about 1876.
Children of Effie Emmagene Combs and Marvil Joseph Higgins:
1.4.1.8.1. Joseph W. Higgins was born April 15, 1907.
1.4.1.8.2. Helen Myrtle Higgins was born January 22, 1914.
1.4.1.8.3. Daniel Frederick Higgins was born June 13, 1916.
1.4.3.1. George E. Combs was born in 1869 in Town of Russia, Grant, NY and died in 1880 in Town of Russia, Grant, NY.
1.4.3.2. Mary Josephine Combs (Phenie) was born February 11, 1871 in Grant, NY and died September 23, 1928 in Utica, NY hospital. In 1892 she married Augustus H. Hoffmeister who was born March 27, 1857 in NY City and died November 20, 1935 in Utica, NY hospital. He was the son of Frederick A. Hoffmeister and Louisa C. Finkman. They resided in the town of Morehouse, Hamilton county, NY. Phenie Combs, was a teacher in Hoffmeister (and I think in Grant early on too). Phenie, Gus, Phenie's sister, Nettie, are all buried at Woodin's Corners' Cemetery in Grant, NY near the Combs. More information about this lineage can be found on the Hamilton county NYGenWeb site.
Children of Mary Josephine Combs and Augustus H. Hoffmeister:
1.4.3.2.1. George F. Hoffmeister was born June 13, 1894.
1.4.3.2.2. Mae Agnes Hoffmeister was born August 13, 1896.
1.4.3.3. Charles E. Combs b: 1873 d: 1935 in Grant, NY. He married Mary L. McGavern who was born in 1869 and died in 1958, a daughter of Reverend William McGavern.
Child of Charles E. Combs and Mary L. McGavern:
1.4.3.3.1. Kenneth L. Combs was born August 16, 1903.
1.4.3.4. Nettie J. Combs was born April 14, 1878 in Grant, NY Herkimer County and died July 03 in Salisbury Center, NY. I think she was in her late 20's or very early 30's. She was sick for a very long time and was sent to live with Phenie for the sunshine and air because the doctor said it would be good for her. She was not a complainer and kept going - pushing. She was buried in Woodin Corners Cemetery.
Grant School circa 1896
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Back row, left to right: Eva Combs, Anna Popple,
Nellie McArthur, Frank Burlingame, Edna Legg, Pearl
Huntley, Eva Hicks, Minnie Irvine (teacher), Bert Jones,
Emma Combs. Next row: Frank Combs, Roy Combs,
Otto Jones, mabel Miller, George Fenner, Leon Jones,
Grace Miller, Fairy Jones. Next Row: Frank
McArthur, Florence Wilt, Mary Topper, Elba Wilt, Herbert
Hart. Next Row - sitting on floor: Blanche Miller,
Flora Conover, Isa Wall, Arthur Hicks.
1.4.3.5. Eva M.Combs was born in 1882 in Grant, NY and died in Anaheim California. She married Albert F. Partello who was born in 1882 in Middleville, NY and died in California. He was the son of Daniel Partello and Josephine E. Maheux of the town of Morehouse, Hamilton county, NY. Eva was a teacher in Grant, NY, before she was married and continued to teach after her marriage.
Children of Eva M. Combs and Albert F. Partello:
1.4.3.5.1. Margaret E. Partello was born in 1920.
1.4.3.5.2. Roger A. Partello.
1.4.4.1. Charles Truman was born Jun 1864. He was married about 1887 to Elizabeth who was born Jun (or Jan?) 1859.
Children of Charles Truman and Elizabeth:
1.4.4.1. Orval Charles was born 3 Mar 1888 in Newport, Herkimer, NY.
1.4.4.2. Bessie E. Truman was born Oct 1897.
Fifth Generation
A glimpse of the old mill and river, Grant, NY
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
1.4.1.4.1. Joseph Combs was born May 11, 1897 and died August 08, 1967. He married Anna Heath.
1.4.1.4.2. Ernest Combs. He married Mabel Belosa.
1.4.1.4.3. Genievive Combs. She married Nathan Scouten.
1.4.1.4.4. Harold Jacob Combs was born February 10, 1900 and died January 01, 1963. He married Josephine Szablak who was born about 1902 and died about 1965.
1.4.1.5.1. Frank Russell Bellinger. He married Helen Sharon a daughter of Ned Sharon and Ruba DePan.
1.4.1.5.2. Charles Bellinger was born February 14, 1910. He married Alice Rayhill who was born about 1912 and died about 1968 in Utica, NY.
1.4.1.5.3. George Bellinger was born November 28, 1911 and died about 1984.
1.4.1.8.1. Joseph Higgins was born April 15, 1907 in Herkimer, NY and died December 30, 1968 in Schenectady, NY. He married Beatrice Allyn Terry who was born March 07, 1903 in Bridgewater, NY.
1.4.1.8.2. Helen Myrtle Higgins was born January 22, 1914 in Herkimer, NY and died March 21, 2003 in Herkimer, NY. She married Harvey Glynn Miner who died August 24, 2000 in Herkimer, NY.
1.4.1.8.3. Daniel Frederick Higgins was born June 13, 1916 in Herkimer, NY and died 1995. He married Frances Jones who was born in 1916.
1.4.3.2.1. George F. Hoffmeister was born June 13, 1894 in Morehouseville, NY and died February 06, 1954 in Grant, NY George married a "May" and his sister's name was "MAE" which confused people and they thought they were one in the same but they weren't. He married May A. Boyce who was born in 1905 and died in 1995 in Grant, NY.
Children of Victor Edmonds and Mae Hoffmeister
Sheldon Robert, Bill, Vilma and Victor jr.
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
1.4.3.2.2. Mae Agnes Hoffmeister was born August 13, 1896 in Hoffmeister, NY and died October 30, 1977 in Utica, NY. She married Victor Herbert Edmonds who was born May 12, 1895 in Herkimer, NY and died February 25, 1967 in Utica, NY. He was a son of James Henry Edmonds and Maylie Flourilla Mellen. Mae was also a teacher and was in the last graduating class in the Herkimer Teachers' School. It is not known if she continued to teach after her marriage. Later on she was a seamstress.
Grant church - minister Kenneth Combs on left (1940)
Mae Hoffmeister Edmonds is in middle holding purse.
Her son, Sheldon Robert, is about 14 and with white
pants kind of kneeling. Eva Combs Partello is next
to Mae and a little behind.
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
1.4.3.3.1. Kenneth L. Combs was born August 16, 1903 in Grant, NY and died March 1974 in West Winfield, NY. He was a Methodist Minister and was very close to Nana (Mae Hoffmeister Edmonds). I remember him visiting a lot. We have quite a few photos of the two of them as they were growing up. He was a very nice guy. He married Alice A. Palmiter who was born in 1907 in Brookfield, NY and died in 1968 in Lee Center. He married second Maude Owens.
Methodist Church, Grant, NY
circa 1910
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
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