Obituary

Thomas Yetman Combs, son of Nancy and James Combs, was born February 19th, 1861, at Peters Creek, and died August 24th, 1939, at the age of 78 years, 6 months and 5 days.

His father, mother, brother, Samuel, sisters, elizabeth Peck, Amanda Hamilton and Miss Mollie Combs, all have preceded him in death.

He leaves to mourn his death, one sister, Mrs. Lula c. Kruse, of Los Angeles, California, and 4 nieces and 5 nephews, all sons and daughters of Elizabeth Peck of Bridgeport, Okla. Nephews and nieces present were Mrs. Donna Mourer, Joe and Gilbert Peck of Geary, Okla., Mrs. Lola Sullivan, of Holton, Kansas, and one son of Tom B. Peck.

He leaves a host of other relatives and friends to mourn his loss. He professed religion at the age of 26 years, and joined the Baptist Church at Mt. Olivet and lived a Christian life.

Funeral services were conducted at his home, Tuesday, August 29th, and burial was in the family cemetery.

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The sale of the household and farming goods, to settle the estate of the lat T. Y. Coombs, brings to a close an interesting chapter in Barren County history which dates back to the early settlement days.

The old log Coombs homestead where T. Y. Coombs lived until his death, is one of the oldest homes now in use in Barren county. His grandmother was a Peck and it was from her that the property was descended. She was descended from Jacob Peck who came to Barren county with his widowed mother, Mrs. Catherine Peck, a brother, Daniel Peck and brother-in-law, Joseph Lanning, prior to l808 established a home in pioneer Barren county and to the present day, no one has ever owned the old Peck home except a Peck and their direct descendants. Some of the old furnishings have remained to this day.

The farm now contains 238 acres but at one time the Peck holding included thousands of acres. The story of the Peck fortunes in Barren county is one that is symbolic of the opportunities in early America which are equaled by no other land.

Some months ago the history of the Peck family was told in the "Pages of the Past" column in this paper,--how they came to Barren county and acquired 200 acres of land. The mother, Catherine Peck, died before 1817. Tradition says she made two trips to Virginia horseback, with one of the children riding with her. One son, Daniel and the son-in-law, Joseph Lanning moved to Indiana, but the remaining son, Jacob Peck, stayed on the old homestead, and gradually acquired more land. In 1829, he started buying extensively and purchased a 1000 acre tract from the mility grant of William Croghan, on Peters Creek. In 1835, he bough another 1000 acre tract from the heirs of Wilson Boush, of Norfolk, Virginia, which was also on Peters Creek. For many years the Peck holdings extended over a wide area, in the Austin and Cross Roads section, gradually dwindling to the size of the present farm, after the tract was divided among the heirs of Jacob Peck, and portions were sold out of the family from time to time.

The late T. Y. Coombs was the last male descendant of his line in Barren county, his only living survivor being a sister, Mrs. Lula C. Druse, of Los Angeles, Cal.