George COOMBS

Notes:

                   Born in Asker Norway near the Arctic Circle in 1851. Her mother died when she was ababy.  Her father remarried and with his four children joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ansd set out on the long voyage to America. 
The familiy's destination was Fountain Green Utah and on the trip across the plains two of the children died.  Grandmother was the hardiest; made almost othe whole journey on foot, walking behind her father's wagon.
In her youth grandmother Coombs suffered all the hardships of poineer life . As a girl she would sometimes follow on foot after herds of sheep as they were droven through the valley in which she lived, picking wool from the brush to which it would cling as the sheep passed.  She then spun and dyed and knitted it into stockings.  She made hats by gathering wheat straws at harvest time, soaking and braiding them.
In 1882 she and her husband came to Arizona, settling at Central in Gila Valley, where she was known and loved by almost everyone as a cheerful, funloving hard working woman who "never expected more of each day than the Lord gives."  And to the last, despite all it's changes, she thought the world was getting along all right.
Her death came quickly, after a short illness. On October 2, when she celebrated her 100th birthday, she was up and about to receive several hundred friends and relatives, and one of her 59 grandchildren, Martin Tate, reported, "her mind is still keen and she's sharp as a cricket."
She survived all but three of her 10 children.  She had 251 direct descendants, including 137 great-grandchildren and 45 great-great grandchildren.  Her World War 11 service flag had 15 stars. 
During her lifetime, Grandmother Coombs made use of six types of transportation so different as to almost span the history of man's progress: sailing ship, steamship, wagon, train, automobile,and airplane. She took her first airplane ride  when she was 95.