Winfred Grover McCombs 6 9 10 11
AKA: W. G. McCombs, Winfred Grove McCombs 10 [incorrect], Winnie McCombs
Parents: Caleb Mosier McCombs (1851-1920) & Mary Edith Miller (1856-1925)
Born: 17 Nov 1885, Buffalo County, Nebraska 1
or 19 Nov 1885 10
1890 Census: most census records lost in fire
about 1895: traveled with parents and family by covered wagon along the Oregon Trail to
California 11 Details
1900 Census: in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, living with parents 2 Details
about 1907: when his cousin A. J. McCombs opened the Golden Gate Market east of the
Wasco Colony to sell produce, he asked Winnie to help run the store 11
1910 Census: in Township 5, Kern County, California, living with A. J. McCombs 3 Details
after 1910: A. J. and Winnie opened a grocery store (also Golden Gate Market) in Wasco 11
Occupation: store keeper, farm laborer 3, butcher 4, meat cutter 5, night watchman
Religion: Methodist. First Methodist Episcopal Church. "Rev. [Byron] Hovey, who served the
congregation from 1941 to 1948, gave special honor and credit in an article
published in The Wasco News to early-day Methodists: Mr. and Mrs. Rex Smith and
Mr. and Mrs. W. G. McCombs." 11
Died: 27 Jun 1965, Wasco, Kern County, California 1
Buried: Wasco Cemetery, Wasco, Kern County, California
Marriage:
Wife: Anna Rachel Bennett (11 Jan 1892 - 23 Jul 1971)
Married: 20 May 1914, Wasco, Kern County, California Newspaper account
Just before the marriage, Winnie built a new house for them at a cost of $1,400
at the corner of 9th and D Streets. 11
1920 Census: in Township 5, Kern County, California 4 Details
date unknown: Winnie sold his interest in the Golden Gate Market and established a 40-acre
dairy farm near the corner of McCombs and Root Roads. Behind the house where
Winnie and family lived, there was a small house in which Winnie's mother
Mary lived. In the late 1920s, many farms failed, and the dairy farm went
from bad to worse and failed with a large financial loss. Around this time,
Winnie was diagnosed with tuberculosis and had to spend a year in the
Stony Brook Retreat Sanitarium at Keene near Tehachapi. These setbacks
led to the sale of the house he had built for their wedding. 8 11
about 1927: Chella's sister Gladys bought the small house from the dairy farm and moved it
to a lot on Poplar Avenue near the Bennett family house. A kitchen and screen
sleeping porch were added on the south side of the house. Winnie and Chella
paid a small monthly rent to Gladys for many years until they had paid off
the cost of this house. The address later was 656 Poplar Avenue, and they
lived here for the rest of their lives. 7
1930 Census: in Wasco, Township 9, Kern County, California 5 Details
1930s: Winnie worked as a city night watchman in Wasco 8
1940s: Winnie began having "spells" when he lost awareness and control of his body.
He would return to normal after some hours of rest. He had to give up the
watchman job. After that he did gardening and chores around the house. 8
1960s: Winnie gradually became more disabled. His daughter-in-law Susie helped care
for him for a time, but eventually he was placed in an intensive care facility
in Wasco. For months before he died, he showed no signs of recognizing anyone
and no response to anything around him. He was considered to have Parkinson's
Disease or something very similar. 8
Jun 1965: Winnie died of pneumonia
Children:
1. Robert Stanley McCombs (1915-2001)
Wife: [Living]
2. Wilton Gilbert McCombs (1919-1988)
Wife: [Living]
3. Gladys Eileen McCombs (1924-2000)
Husband 1: Rudolph Albert Wittenberg (1923-1982) [divorced]
Husband 2: Lynn Ashby (1921-1976)
Notes:
1. California Death Records, Winfred
G. McCombs.
2. Census 1900, Roll 114,
p. 4B, Enumeration District 172.
3. Census 1910, Roll 78, Part 3, p. 74A.
4. Census 1920, Roll 100,
p. 3A, Enumeration District 97, Image 610.
5. Census 1930, Roll
122, p. 14B, Enumeration District 49, Image 264.0.
6. McCombs, J. (1974-), pp. 1, 12.
7. McCombs, J. (2002a).
8. McCombs, L. (2004).
9. McCombs, M. (1999).
10. Rochelle (1983).
11. Shafer (1990), pp. 14-16.