Obituary of Kathryn Combs

Kathryn Shenk Combs, age 90, died peacefully on November 22, 2011 in Boise, ID. Kathryn was born February 14, 1921 in Elizabethtown, PA, daughter of John Longenecker Rutt and Mary Horst Rutt. Following high school, she attended one year at Goshen College in Indiana. She completed nursing studies at Jefferson Medical College Hospital School of Nursing in Philadelphia. Following several years of employment at Jefferson, she graduated from the School of Anesthesia and worked on the anesthesia staff. On April 3, 1948, she married John Lester Combs. For over 20 years, Kathryn worked as a volunteer in recovery areas of St. Luke's Hospital in Boise. She also worked with a group who make teddy bears for hospitalized children. In addition to her husband, survivors include three children - Karen Combs [Colorado], Bert Combs [Idaho] and Alice Schwartz [Montana]. Preceding her in death are daughter Laura Lee Combs, her brothers and sisters - Amos S. Rutt, B. Titus Rutt, J. Henry Rutt, John Mark Rutt, Susanna Miller and Mary S. Rutt. A life celebration will take place at the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Boise on Friday, December 9 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to St. Luke's Health Foundation or Idaho Youth Ranch.