Lula Combs & Family - Killing Albert Berch

: Civil War era photograph of William Buford Combs (restored from tintype), father to William David Combs and father-in-law to Arrie Combs. (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: Civil War era photograph of Tennessee Loving (restored from tintype), father of Arrie (Arella Cordelia Loving). (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: Tintype of Arella “Arrie” Cordelia Loving (Combs) as a young woman in the 1880s (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: The Combs Family photograph taken prior to the birth of their last child, daughter Jessie, circa 1903, while living near Nocona, Texas. Standing: Lula on the left, sister Nettie on the right. Front Row: Willliam David Combs (father), William “Fred” Combs, Arrie Combs (mother), the ill-fated Fannie Combs (with doll), and Lucinda Mashburn Combs (William David’s mother, and paternal grandmother to namesake Lula). (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: Lucinda Jane Combs, age 12, photo taken in 1896, the year of the first tornado. Lucinda would be called “Lulu” or “Lula” throughout her life (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: William David Combs and Arrie Combs (Lula’s parents), photo taken in the 1930s at Turner Falls, Oklahoma (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: Lula’s sister closest to her in age was Nettie Combs, shown here with husband, Arthur Barrett Collins, and their first four children, circa 1912. Their fifth child was Glenn Collins born in 1913. The Hollingsworth children remember “Aunt Nettie and Uncle Barrett” from Sunday visits to Combs Central. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Glenn Collins, son of “Aunt Nettie and Uncle Barrett,” Almarian’s first cousin, while an undergraduate. Glenn went on to a distinguished medical career in the military. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Maj. Gen. Glenn Collins takes command of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Lula’s sister, Fannie Combs, was the Arrie look-alike of the four sisters, shown in this photo with second husband Frank Teel. Standing at back is daughter Frankie, age 8, by Fannie’s first marriage. In front of her is daughter Cordia, age 2, by Frank Teel. Fannie’s tragic death is described in the book, and she is buried next to Lula’s first husband, Walter Garvin. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Fred Combs was Lula’s only brother, shown here circa 1912, with wife Mittie. Eventually they would have 3 children. The two shown here are Doyle (on his father’s knee) and Cleo Jerrain Combs, standing. Fred Junior would be born in 1920. Doyle became the father of Don and Barbara, the latter having a role in the book. Fred and Mittie were the only family members living in Marlow at the time of the murders, and both were present in the aftermath. (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: Fred and Mittie Combs, Lula’s brother and sister-in-law, in January 1938, 14 years after the murders. By the time of this photo, they had settled back in Elmore City, referred to as the first “Combs Central” in the book. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: 1805 N.W. 27th Street in Oklahoma City, the house designated as the second “Combs Central” in the book after Arrie and Lula settled there. This photograph was taken in 1940, though this house did not become a permanent residence until the 1950s. The home was converted to a duplex, and Lula added a “storm cave” with entry on the front porch. Today, this is an empty lot north of the Oklahoma City University campus. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Arrie Combs in her usual pose, directly in front of the television. A photograph of the author’s older sister, Susan, can be seen on top of the TV. (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: Centenarians were somewhat rare in the 1960s, and Arrie’s death prompted a headline in the Daily Oklahoman, October 26, 1965.

: Barbara Combs (McKay) and her brother Don at 1805 N.W. 27th, Combs Central (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Barbara in the living room at Combs Central, with brother Don and great-grandmother Arrie in the background. As the Combs family grew, limited space prompted the families to visit in rotation, such that the youngest family members rarely crossed paths. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Undated photo from the 1960s, left to right: Arrie Combs (seated), Lula Berch Reynolds, Barbara Combs (daughter of Doyle, grand-daughter of Mittie), Mittie Combs, and Doyle Combs (from the Hollingsworth family collection)

: Left to right (January 1955): Arrie Combs, Dr. F.W. Hollingsworth, the author Alan Berch Hollingsworth, at far end of the table (age 6), Lula, Almarian, and Aunt Jessie (Lula’s youngest sister). (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: As long as Arrie Combs was alive, the matriarch of the family drew crowds every Sunday to Combs Central in Oklahoma City. After Arrie’s death at 102, 1805 N.W. 27th grew silent. (from the Hollingsworth family collection).

: Mittie Knight Combs’ 100th birthday party in 1990 (Lula’s sister-in-law). Left to right: son Fred, Jr. (1920-1999), Mittie (1890-1992), and son Doyle (1910-2000). All three individuals in the photo — plus their father, Fred, Sr. (1888-1946) — were living in Marlow, Oklahoma at the time of the murders. Doyle Combs (father to Barbara and Don) would have been about 13 years old at the time. Fred, Sr. and Mittie assisted Lula in the immediate aftermath of the murders. Since Mittie cared for Almarian that night, it is quite likely that Doyle helped babysit. “Freddie Junior” (left in photo) was closest to Almarian’s age, and he walked her down the aisle in her 1943 wedding to F.W. Hollingsworth, as Almarian’s father was deceased, as were her two half-brothers, Guy and Glenn Garvin (photo courtesy of Jenna Carter)