PIONEER REAPE FAMILY

1. JAMES REAPE of Lewis County was born April 10, 1835, in Ireland and died Aug. 28, 1922. He is buried in Lowville Rural Cemetery with his wife.

He married

HARRIET COMBS daughter of GEORGE W. and FANNY M. COMBS of Three Mile Bay. JAMES and HARRIET had five children we know by name (and possibly an infant daughter, whose name we do not know):

Children, REAPE:

    2    i    ELIZA REAPE, born in 1863 and died in 1944. She married WALKER LEVIKER (1863-1926). They are buried in Lowville Rural Cemetery

     3   ii     LYDIA REAPE, born in 1866 and died in 1960. She married Ethelbert J. Searl (1860-1942). They are buried in West Lowville Cemetery

     4  iii    JAMES REAPE Jr., born cDecember 1869 and died June 9, 1924. He married ELIZA MEALY (born Dec. 9, 1870, and died May 3, 1949) They are buried in Lowville Rural Cemetery

     5   iv     EMMA E. REAPE, born in 1873 and died July 1, 1908. She married FRANK LANDON. She is buried in Lowville Rural Cemetery.

     6   v     MARY A. REAPE, born in 1874 and died in 1970. She married GEORGE M. HENRY (1869-1939). They are buried in Lowville Rural Cemetery.

We have more information about the REAPE family, but we are still trying to organize it, and we have gaps we are trying to fill in. When we walked through the Three Mile Bay Cemetery, we discovered the following information on headstones:

FANNY M. COMBS was born Dec. 5, 1814

JOHN COMBS (1843-1920) married SELENA BATES (1848-1940)
Under JOHN'S name is the notation "Co. M, 10th NY HA"

CHARLES COMBS (1845-1931) married JOANNAH H. KLOCK (1847-1932)

On the same stone with GEORGE and FANNY'S names are the following inscriptions:

BENNY F. F.
son of CHARLES and JOANNAH COMBS June 12, 1879 (9 mos., 26 days)

JENNIE
daughter of JOHN and SELENA M. COMBS
April 1, 1876 age 6, 9 mos., 10 days

In addition, the 1850 Federal Census - Jefferson County, NY lists the following under town of Lyme:

42754 John Combs, 77

42755 Elizabeth, 66

42756 George, 44

42757 Fanny, 35

42758 Ambrose, 17

42759 Edwin, 15

42760 Maria, 12

42761 Harriet, 10

42762 John, 7

42763 Charles, 4

42764 Benjamin, 2

42750 Alonzo, 34

42751 Susanna, 31

42752 Antoinette, 6

42753 Elizabeth, 7 months

42770 Job, 50

42771 Lucina, 40

We believe John and Elizabeth were George's parents.

There are still more Combs family members listed in the town of Alexandria:

3657 James, 38

3658 Nancey, 22

3659 John, 11

3660 James, 8

3661 Jeremiah, 6

3662 Sarah, 2

3663 Catherine, 5 months

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For further information, contact:
Lisa Reape Albrecht