John Combs son of John and Ruth (Westcott) Combs, was born in Burlington, Lawrence County, Ohio, on April 1, 1832. His marriage to Lizzie A. C. Crawford took place near Burlington, on November 14, 1853. She was born on a farm two miles above Burlington, on July 4, 1835. Her parents are James and Nancy (Kouns) Crawford, settlers of this county in 1820, and of whom we publish an extensive genealogy.
Children of John and Ruth Combs
The children of Mr. Combs are: Lizzie A., born at Alton, Illinois, November 8, 1854, died the same day; Mary E., in Ironton, May 10, 1857; Susie M., in Ironton, September 10, 1866, resides at home. Mr. Combs settled in Ironton in 1854 and engaged in the book and stationery business. In the first call for volunteers, Mr. Combs was appointed second lieutenant in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry, serving under General Averill. He was afterward promoted to the first lieutenant and then to adjutant of the regiment.
After the war he settled in Ironton, where he edited the Ironton Journal, then changed in politics and edited the Ironton Democrat, then the Iron Era, the only democratic paper in the county.
Mary E., one of the daughters of Mr. Combs, is married to E. R. Mauck, now residing in Cincinnati, who served three years as drum major during the late war. The genealogy of Mrs. Combs is as follows: George W. Kouns came from Pennsylvania, and Catherine, his wife, from Greenbrier County, Virginia, and settled near where Burlington, Lawrence County, now stands.
Andrew P. Kouns
The former came in 1807 and the latter in 1808, and they were married in the latter part of the last year. Uncle George, as he was familiarly called, was a brother of Andrew P. Kouns, deceased, who lived near Symmes’ creek, now opposite Huntington, Virginia, and died June 7, 1848, aged __ years. Catherine, his wife, commonly called Aunt Katy, was born on the 14th of September, 1783, and died in 1874, aged 90 years and 5 months.
Their early home was a vast wilderness, situated on the banks of the Ohio River—water often driving them from their cabin to seek shelter in other buildings. At that time neighbors were few and far between, there being but four families between the mouth of Guyan river and that of Big Sandy, and but a few now remain to tell the hardships and trials of those early days.
James Crawford, the grandfather of Mrs. Combs, was a native of the county of Donegal, Ireland, and emigrated to America about one hundred years ago with his family and settled in Carlisle county, Pennsylvania, where he lived the remainder of his days, after having reared a large family.
His son, James Crawford, the father of Mrs. Combs, was born December 6, 1804, and was married to Nancy Kouns, daughter of George and Catherine Kouns, on the 10th of February, 1829. He had three brothers, their names being familiar to most every old resident of Lawrence county, viz: John, who moved to Illinois twenty-nine years ago; Hugh, one of the first settlers of Ironton, and Samuel, who died some years ago on his farm at the mouth of Charley creek.
The children born to James Crawford are as follows: Catherine L., Lizzie C., George K., Eliza A., Addie F., James R., Mary O., Clayton L., John M., Dillie M., and two died in infancy. John Combs is an editor and also a hotel keeper. His post office address is Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio.
Death of Capt. Combs
Ironton Register 23 August 1894
Capt. John Combs died last Saturday and his funeral took place at the residence of Maj. Jere Davidson, Tuesday morning at 10 o’clock. Rev. E. E. Moran conducted the funeral services, and the interment was at Woodland. The funeral was attended by a large number of old friends and neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Mauck, the latter his daughter Ella, were present His other daughter, Mrs. Patterson, who lives at Columbus was too ill to be present, from whose bedside Mrs. Combs came to attend the last sad offices.
The deceased was born in Burlington in 1832; he married Miss Lizzie Crawford in 1853; about which time he came to Ironton and started a bookstore. Afterward, he went into the wharf boat business but in about 1858 went to Pike’s Peak. He returned at the beginning of the war and entered the Union army, holding the position of Lieutenant in the 2nd Va. Infantry. He served through the war with credit and fidelity.
In 1867, he established the Ironton Journal, and for a few years conducted an interesting newspaper. Capt. Combs was a quick and lively writer and he won considerable notes as an editor. Disposing of his interest in the Journal, he established the Iron Era, bud did not long remain with it.
After this he had no regular employment, engaging himself in insurance and other agencies, clerkships, and steamboating. For many years his health has been declining, and he died at last of consumption, and affliction which in former days no one ever suspected would bring him to his grave.
And so another of our old citizens has gone to his long home. Forty years ago he came with a happy bride and made their home in the old Bank block. Ironton has grown from a village; a generation has come and gone; a great war has intervened.
Through the drapery that is pushed back from the grave, we can see him who has died, mingling happily and kindly in those far away events, and a tender regret comes that they are no more. Farewell.
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