Ancestor Roundup: Sylvia Ann Freeman

Sylvia Ann Freeman was born 5 October 1891 in Martin County, Indiana. She was the daughter of John USG Freeman (1865 – 1937) and Alta Eldora Davison (1861 – 1924). She grew up in Lost River Township, just outside of French Lick, Indiana. Sylvia had six siblings, one of whom was her twin sister Goldie Jean (1891 – 1987). They were not identical twins. As adults, Goldie was almost a foot taller than Sylvia’s 4’9” height. Her other siblings were Stanford Altman (1887 – 1966), Hattie May (1895 - 1991), Pearl Alice  (1899 - 1983), Vergil Austin (1903 - 1992), and Albert Cleo (1905 - 1993).

On 13 Nov 1909 Sylvia married Everett Franklin Combs. She raised a house of children and then helped with grandchildren. However, her time as a mother as packed with sadness with the loss of seven children under the age of one. I wrote about this before.

According to my father, she loved roses and knew how to grow them anywhere. Sylvia even spliced varieties together to create bushes with multiple types of roses. Unfortunately, her skill was not always appreciated. From what I was told my grandmother loved Sylvia’s roses and they would work to plant them in my grandparent’s yard. Then, my grandfather most likely suffering from rose growing trauma as a child, would run them over with the lawnmower until they stopped planting them.

My grandparents no longer lived with Sylvia and Everett when she had a heart attack on 11 November 1964. Feisty until the end, Sylvia would not let the ambulance take her to the hospital until my grandmother was there. She had to make sure someone with a “head on their shoulders” new how to take care of the family finances. Sylvia lingered in and out of consciousness for four days until she died on 15 November.


Family Group:
Everett Franklin Combs, son of Willis Franklin and Mary Margaret Hall, married Sylvia Ann Freeman, daughter of John Ulysses S Grant Freeman and Alta Eldora Davison. They had the following children:
Albert Keralla Combs (17 October 1910 – 16 February 1980) who married Pauline Christine Casper
James Franklin Combs (31 May 1913 – 16 July 1987) who married Mayme Jones and Harriett Bobb
Paul Edward Combs (5 October 1915 – 13 Nov 1978) who married Ruth Eleanor Brennan
Zelma Mae Combs (24 February 1918 – 26 December 2005) who married Delbert Orris Horton
Ruth Emily Combs (7 Jun 1920 – 20 June 1920) died from pneumonia
Gladdis Marie Combs (11 April 1921 – 5 May 1921) died from pneumonia
Everett Franklin Combs Jr. (5 May 1922 – 10 May 2010) who married Anna Louise Catt
Mary Louise Combs (17 November 1924 – 8 June 2003) who married Charles Heaton King
Infant (24 March 1927) stillborn
Kenneth Eugene Combs (13 Oct 1928 – 13 Oct 1928) died from prematurity
Infant (12 Jun 1929) stillborn
Mildred Pauline Combs (13 August 1930 – 18 Aug 1930) died from a heart defect
Robert Earl Combs (30 September 1933 – 16 October 1933) died from indigestion