General Notes

[basham.ged]
Information From Cecilia & Ernest Combs Correspondence
MEMORIAL OBITUARY LOLA COMBS
Mrs. Charles B. (Lola W.) Combs, 58, of 1403 E. 121st., died Tuesda
y. S he was born in Centerville, Colo., and lived in Tacoma since 1938. Be
sid es her husband, survivors include a son, Ernest F. of Gig Harbor; thr
ee br others, George Basham of Palisade, Colo., William Basham of Grand Ju
nctio n, Colo., and Thomas Basham of Pine Bluff, Ark.; a sister, Mrs Richa
rd (Th elma) Maxwell of Jackson, Calif.; and three grandchildren. Servic
es and bu rial will be held in Salida, Colo. Local arrangements under dire
ction of B uckley-King Mortuary. "The Tacoma News Tribune", Tacoma, Washin
gton; Dec 2 1, 1972 Lola's first spouse (to be), Ernest A Anderson w
as in an auto acci dent on 7 Feb 1931 en route (with marriage applicatio
n) to marry Lola Bash am. Just after midnight on 8 Feb 1931 he died of int
ernal injuries. He w as 22 years old and had a high school education. At a
ge 22, he work ed as an assistant Water Commissioner for Denver's Water De
partment. In t he summer of 1930 he was working in South Park (East of Lea
dville) doing w ork for the Denver Water Dept. in Park County. He was at F
air Play, Harts el Antero Junction, working with the Antero Reservoir proj
ect. At that tim e, the Bashams lived out of Fairplay on 63 Ranch own
ed by McQuaid. The ran ch was between Fairplay and Antero Junction (now hi
ghway 285).
Lola Basham was with child when Ernest A Anderson died. She stayed wi
th t he Anderson family for a while after the death, but shortly before t
he chi ld was born she went to her sister Thelma (Basham) Waible's ho
me in Leadvi lle, Colorado, to wait out her pregnancy. She gave birth to E
rnest F Ander son on 11 May 1931 (the birth certificate implies she was ma
rried, becau se it says the father was 23 - which he would have been h
ad he lived unt il the birth of their son Ernest. However, Ernest A Anders
on's death certi ficate and Uncle William Basham say that the father was s
ingle at the ti me of his death.
Lola was a very good mother to Ernest F whom the Basham family called "
Bu d". Very early, Bud remembers an uncle saying that Bud's last name w
as Bas ham. The Bashams must have moved to Buena Vista shortly after Bud w
as bo rn because Lola and Bud lived with the Bashams (her parents and brot
her s) in Buena Vista, Colorado, when Bud was small. Bud remembers his Gra
nd pa Basham catching grasshoppers with him. Lola worked in and out of B
ue na Vista to help support herself and Bud. The Uncles helped raise B
ud t oo and were good companions.
When Bud was about 4 or 5, Lola married Charles B Combs who was wor
ki ng in the area at the time. He was a man with two years of college be
hi nd him. The Combs moved to Tacoma, Washington about 1937. (Lola's obit
ua ry says 1938, but Bud thinks that is wrong because he attended first g
ra de in Tacoma.) Although he was never legally adopted, Bud has used h
is ste pfather's name. He became Ernest Combs in school and on all legal d
ocument s. Charlie and Ernie had a close father-son relationship all the r
est of C harlie's life. Lola and Charlie Combs remained in Tacoma the re
st of the ir lives except for a few years when Charlie's work in comput
er processi ng transferred him first to Utah and then to Pueblo, Colorado.
Some early history on Lola Basham is as follows. Lola was born in a l
og h ouse. She attended grade school in what was then Centerville, a few m
il es south of Nathrop, Colorado. She completed 8th grade. The family l
iv ed on or near Cottonwood Creek south of Nathrop. Lola was an expert hor
sew oman; she could outride just about anyone. Even her older brothers res
pect ed her riding skills. She was small, about 5' 3" and slender unt
il a few y ears before her death. Information provided by Cecilia Combs.