The Combs Family News is happy to report that in the past year the grave of John Combs, father of the eight brothers, has been properly marked at the mouth of White Oak, Defiance, in Perry County. As you will see from the photo accompanying this story, a very nice and suitable gravestone has been erected with the birth and death dates of John Combs 1733-1820.

Also a chain link fence has been erected around the gravesite which was located on the Eura Godsey farm. Mr. Godsey was very helpful in pointing out the graves about 150 yards from the Godsey family graves.

To refresh your memory, through the years no one knew where the graves of John and his wife, Nancy, were located. It was through the efforts of a direct descendant, Dr. Morris M. Garrett, 53 Winston Hill, Ft. Thomas, Ky. that this remarkable discovery was made. Assisted by his sons and Norman Combs of Jeff, Garrett and the party explored according to the information of the late Dr. Josiah Combs in his book, The Combses Genealogy, who had related that John Combs was buried at the "mouth of White Oak" in Perry County. It was May 19, 1981 that Morris, his sons Stuart, Peter and David Garrett, set out to find the graves. With Norman Combs, they went to the Godsey farm.

Mr. Godsey, 85 years young, guided them to the graves (Godsey we presume) but they couldn't find the other graves, It was Stuart Garrett who followed Joiah Combs' description. Stuart found a persimmon tree as described, very large now and over two feet in diameter, and took 37 paces up hill to the left of a small "holler" and found the crude rock tombstone and graves of John and Nancy Combs.

Last year at the Combs Reunion several Combs cousins and the Association donated the money to mark these graves and the job has been completed. Since that time, Norman Combs tells us he was gone on the hill across from his home at Jeff and located the grave of Mason Combs, the father of Napoleon Bonaparte Combs who married Susan Ison of Linefork; Perry County, moved to Owsley County and became parents of Martha Combs who married, Isaac Anderson (Stuart) Meyers.