Shelby Combs

SHELBY JEAN COMBS left this life on Monday, December 15, 2025 at age 88. She was born in Ashe County, North Carolina on May 2, 1937. She died in Amarillo, Texas, having lived a long and beautiful life. Shelby was born the fifth of Chester and Maude Eldreth's twelve children. She went by Jean for most of her life, but preferred to be called Shelby in her later years. She married James Carlton Combs on November 15, 1952, and they raised five children together while moving extensively for work. She liked to say that she had worked everywhere, especially in food service, housekeeping, and the family construction and saw mill businesses. Shelby had a deep and life-long love of music, which she shared with her husband as they found opportunities to play guitar and bass and sing wherever they went. She also enjoyed thrifting, gardening and working in the yard, keeping a clean house, volunteering, making food and encouraging family and friends to eat. Shelby's devotion to the people she loved was singular. She adored her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, many of whom have core memories of her singing to them in their youngest years. She was wise and down to earth, good at listening and giving advice, and a keen judge of character. Shelby was preceded in death by her husband, James Carlton Combs; her daughter, Angelin Lockhart; her grandson, Robert Schnabel, Jr.; her parents, Chester and Maude Eldreth; six brothers, William Eldreth, Lavon Eldreth, Lloyd 'Tobe' Eldreth, Joseph Eldreth, Gary Eldreth, and Larry Eldreth; and three sisters, Flora Vines, Pearl McGhinnis, and Margaret Russ.

She is survived by four sons, Jim Combs of Haines, Alaska, Sam Combs of Amarillo, Tim Combs of Fairbanks, Alaska and his wife Joanie, and Phillip Combs of Saratoga Springs, Utah and his wife Stephanie; eight grandchildren, Tara Dickson of Amarillo, Court Dickson of Amarillo, Rikki DuBois of Juneau, Alaska and her husband Matthew, Chari Hurley of Indianapolis, Indiana and her husband Eric, Bryan Combs of Haines and his wife Kaitlin, Christina Tedrow of Evansville, Indiana and her husband Scotty, Alexander Combs of Eagle Mountain, Utah and his wife Allie, Christopher Combs of West Jordan, Utah and his wife Victoria; thirteen great-grandchildren; her brother, Earl Eldreth of Creston, North Carolina; and her sister, Sherry 'Judy' Osborne of Creston.

Visitation will be on Monday, December 22, from 5 to 7 pm at Griggs-Schooler-Gordon Pioneer Chapel in Amarillo. A funeral service will be held at 2pm on Tuesday, December 23, at Coulter Road Baptist Church in Amarillo. A graveside service will be held on January 10 at Kentucky Ridge Cemetery in Doans, Greene County, Indiana.