AKA: Chella Bennett, Chella McCombs
Parents: Thomas Jefferson Bennett (1847-1931) & Sarah Parmelia Randolph (1853-1922)
Born: 11 Jan 1892, Adair, McDonough County, Illinois 1 12
1900 Census: in New Salem Township, McDonough County, Illinois, living with parents 2 Details
about 1906: moved with parents and siblings to Gardena, Los Angeles County, California 11
6 Feb 1907: moved with parents and siblings to Wasco Colony, Kern County, California Details
1910 Census: in Township 5, Kern County, California, living with parents 3 Details
Occupation: housekeeper, janitor, store clerk
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: 23 Jul 1971, Bakersfield, Kern County, California 1 12
Buried: Wasco Cemetery, Wasco, Kern County, California
Marriage:
Husband: Winfred Grover McCombs (17 Nov 1885 - 27 Jun 1965)
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
about 1935: Chella began working as janitor at the Wasco Public Library, a job she retained
for much of her life.
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 After
Winnie retired, Chella took on a second job as a clerk at the Sprouse Reitz
variety store and still had great difficulty making ends meet.
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, Chella
R. McCombs.
2. Census 1900, Roll 320,
p. 2A, Enumeration District 64.
3. Census 1910, Roll 78, Part 3, p. 74A.
4. Census 1920, Roll 1100,
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, 13.
7. McCombs, J. (2002a).
8. McCombs, L. (2004).
9. McCombs, M. (1999).
10. Rochelle (1983).
11. Shafer (1990), pp. 14-16.
12. Social Security Death Index, Chella McCombs.