(Edon High School Graduate)
Millie Combs, age 90, of Austin, Texas passed away peacefully Tuesday, September 10, 2024. She was born September 13, 1933, on the family farm in Edon, Ohio to Oren and Doris Maybee.
She was the sixth of seven children and depression era values shaped her life. She fondly recounted stories of watching her father hitch up the horse team for the milk route, gathering eggs, and helping her mother can food from their large garden.
Millie learned to make wonderful apple pies and sugar cookies from scratch, which she took pleasure in doing for her family and friends throughout her life.
After graduating from high school in Edon, Millie moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana and went to work for Lincoln National Life where she met her future husband, Don Combs.
Millie and Don were married in 1956 and lived in Fort Wayne where they had two children, Becky and Lee Combs.
In 1965, Millie and Don moved to Manhattan, Kansas, a wonderful community that they truly loved. Millie had a variety of interests though she always put her family first. She was a tireless mother and homemaker.
Millie loved flowers and gardening, and she and Don took much joy from tending to their yard and flower gardens. During her younger years, she was interested in weaving, woodworking, and art classes at Kansas State University. She was someone who could see beauty in all things.
Her passion in later years was genealogy and she spent many happy hours tracing her own family history as well as working at the Riley County Genealogical Society helping others find their family roots.
Millie and Don enjoyed long road trips and often visited friends and family around the country. Millie made many dear friends over the years, and she treasured them. Neighbors and friends were so important to her and a blessing throughout her life.
She kept in touch by writing notes and letters to all of them in her beautiful cursive handwriting. Following Don’s passing in 2015, Millie moved to Austin to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Millie was preceded in death by her parents, Oren and Doris Maybee, and her husband, Don Combs.
She is survived by her sister, Marilyn Osborn; her sister-in-law Nancy Cutshall; her daughter Becky Combs; her son Lee Combs, wife Jan Combs, and their children Charlie and Clare.
A visitation will be held at 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 22, 2024 at Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home in Manhattan. A graveside service will be held on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Sunrise Cemetery, 2901 Stagg Hill Road, Manhattan KS 66502.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Riley County Genealogical Society in Manhattan, Kansas, www.RileyCGS.com or Shepherd of the Hills Church in Austin, Texas, www.shephills.org. Contributions may be sent in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.
Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com
