Pauline Gustava Gulbrandsen Coombs

Pauline Gustava Gulbrandsen Coombs is Aunt Cleotha's paternal grandmother.
(William Burnard Coombs is Aunt Cleotha's father and Pauline Gulbrandsen's son.)

The following story is taken from a memory found on familysearch.

Pauline Gustava Gulbrandsen Coombs

Contributed By taravelateallen1 · 22 September 2014

The following is found on FINDAGRAVE Website:

Birth: Oct. 2, 1851

Asker, Akershus fylke, Norway

Death: Jan. 13, 1952

Central Graham County, Arizona, USA

Daughter of Ance (Hans) Gulbransen of Norway and Elen Paulsen, also of Norway. 

Wife of George Coombs, Jr. 

Lived for over 100 years.

Biography from "A Century In Central 1883-1983"

Pauline arrived in the United States from Norway in 1862 at age 11. She walked most of the way across the plains to Utah and she told how happy they all were when they were met by saints with good food. A brother and a sister died while crossing the plains. The Coombs and Guldbrandsen families both settled in Fountain Green, Sanpete, Utah where George Coombs, Jr. and Pauline were married on 20 December 1869. In 1881 they moved to Woodruff, Navajo, Arizona. In 1885 they moved to the Gila Valley, spending two years in Pima, then known as Smithville. Central was just being settled so they moved there and homesteaded a farm and built their home. The home still stands just north of the Central churchhouse. George was a brick mason and built many of the homes in the Gila Valley, including the red brick church in Central. His brick kiln was located near where Harry Bailey's home was later built.

George and Pauline were always active in the LDS Church and held many positions. George loved to sing, had a beautiful bass voice, and was a leader of the Central choir for many years. The family was musical and he played the bass horn in Central's dance band. 21 October 1898 he left his family of nine children and went on a Mission to England and returned in 1900.

Ten children were born to them: George Henry, Eliza Ellen, William Burnard, Charles Leonard, Nathan Eugene, Martha Jane, Lydia Marie, Emma Pearl, Edith, and Ada.

George was postmaster from 1898-1902 and took the mail to the train every day.

In November 1902 George and his wife Pauline along with two unmarried daughters, Emma and Edith, and their son George Henry and his family, and the Alfred Cluff family and the Oscar Tyler family, with other families from the Gila Valley went to the State of Guatemala in the Republic of Mexico on its extreme southwestern boundary, joining Central America. Because of representations which had been made, it was thought that they could make a small fortune in a short time and then return to Arizona; however, the plan did not work. They went from here to New Orleans by train and then crossed the Gulf of Mexico by steamship. They remained there for about seven months.

That land was truly a tropical one. Even at Christmas time they found the weather very warm. The population, composed of Negroes, Indians and Mexicans, told these white people they would not be able to live there because of the heat, swamps and fevers which made it difficult to exist. Emma Coombs Tate, who is still living (1983), says she remembers well the boat trip and the mosquitoes. The country was full of malaria and sickness. Although all of the members of the party took large doses of quinine daily, it finally became evident that they could not stand the test. Some of the group died and the others decided to return to their homes in Arizona. The Coombs families returned to Central where they established a permanent home.

George Coombs passed away 21 December 1921. Pauline lived to celebrate her 100th birthday and was active and alert right up until her death 13 January 1952.