Graveside: 11:00 AM Friday, December 26th, 2014 - Elmwood Cemetery
Lewis B. Coombes, 96 year old former Woodward resident, died Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at the Oklahoma Veterans Center in Oklahoma City. Graveside funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 26, 2014 at the Elmwood Cemetery with the Reverend Larry Masoner officiating. Burial will follow with the United States Army providing military graveside rites.
Lewis Banks Coombes was born on April 12, 1918 in Woodward, Oklahoma to Gano Edward and Minnie Ida (Reynolds) Coombes. He was reared in Woodward and attended Woodward schools. While Lewis was in high school he delivered groceries for the local grocery store to help out his family. He later hitch hiked to California to live with other members of his family. Lewis was inducted into the United States Army on May 19, 1941. He served as a Combat Infantryman, in Central Europe earning markmanship in rifle and machine gun. Lewis served with the 10th Armored Division or as they were called by General Patton “The Tigers of the Tenth.” Lewis earned the Bronze Star Medal and three Bronze Service Stars. His division, the 10th, was the first of General Patton’s divisions to enter Germany. Lewis was honorably discharged in 1948. He moved to Alaska and worked at the Post Office. He returned to California and was later married to Inez Coombes. They had no children and she preceded him in death.
Lewis moved back to Woodward in the early 1990's and has lived there since that time.
He is survived by a sister-in-law, Barbara Coombes of California; nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, an infant brother William, Merlin Coombes, Margaret Coombes, Thomas Coombes, Bertha Wiggins, Mary Skinner, Betty Coombes, and Marcella Ruttman.