COMBS: Of Henrys Fork and Spencer.
The first of this family name making a home here were Sallie (Sergent) Combs--widow--with her six sons and six daughters; this widow was a sister of J. Madison Sergent of Spring Creek and David, Jr. and Henry D. Sergent of Johnson Creek of Pocatalico.
Cullen Combs, of old Virginia parentage, in Russell County, met and married Miss Sallie Sergent, daughter of David Sergent and wife. Cullen and Sallie acquired and made a large farm situate on the River Clinch, well stocked and highly productive at time of outbreak of the Civil War, but at the close of that war denuded, desolate and in debt. Cullen sold it and moved to a place in Kentucky; there discouragement and ill health drove him back to Russell, where he died in the year 1866, leaving surviving him the wife, Sallie, and the sons and daughters first mentioned. She with all these came to Roane for a home near her brothers; in the year 1870, purchased lands on upper Henrys Fork, made her home and ended her days in peace and comfort.
The names of the Combs, sons and daughters, given here in order of ages, as near as William David, one of them remembers, are as follows:
Eliza, who married Ceorge McFarlan; William David (see at end of paragraph) ; Frederick, married a Miss Christian, of Kentucky; Thomas, married Miss Helmick in Roane; Julia Ann, married Presley E. Vin~ yard (see Vineyard); Virginia, married in Morgan County, Kentucky; John Miller, married Miss Julia Taliman, February 2, 1878 (see name Tallman) ; Mary married John Jones of Cotton Tree, Walton District; Angeline married James Perry, went to Kentucky; Beverly married thrice, lived in Fayette County, West Virginia; Fielding "Fied") married Miss Snodgrass.
William David Combs, now (1927) of Spencer, son of Cullen and Sallie (Sergent) Combs. his wife, horn on the Clinch River in Russell County, Virginia, November 20, 1844, came to Roane County in the year 1870; on February 8, 1872, united in marriage with Miss Mary Jane Trout, who was born May 12, 1854; they made their home on head waters of Henrys Fork in Smithfield District, and there made and maintained a comfortable farm home, and brought up and gave to the citizenry of Roane County, seven sons and five daughters, whose names, given in order of ages are as follows:
Ferdinand, L. Dondine, Jeanette, who united in marriage with "Flem" Steber in the year 1903, at Parkersburg; Board, Roy D., Oscar, Frederick F.; Eliza and Harry each died before marria~e. About the year 1915, William D. and his wife Mary J., purchased a home in Spencer, where they live in ease, their hard-earned lands being in the oil field yields ample income for their declining days.
Source: History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 480-481
Submitter: Sandy Spradling, November 28, 1999
