Virginia Hatcher Combs, a retired teacher and Knott Board of Education bookkeeper, remains active as a community and church volunteer.

Virginia was born in 1912 in Floyd County to William and Maude Spencer Hatcher.  She attended Alice Lloyd College, Eastern State Teachers College in Richmond and the University of Kentucky.     

Virginia taught second classes in Floyd County for four years. Virginia married Knott School Superintendent Beckham Combs  in 1925.  Beckham was superintendent for nearly four decades. Virginia remained at home to raise their two children, Nancy  Combs Pack, now residing in Kettering, Ohio, and Jack Beckham Combs, who lives in Grand Rapids.  She returned to full time        
employment as bookkeeper with the board of education from 1953 until her retirement in 1976.                                                    

In addition to her duties as a bookkeeper, Virginia served the school district as Superintendent Beckham combs' confidante and  top volunteer.  For instance, she visited the county schools with the health department personnel to distribute the polio vaccine in sugar cubes the first year of that program. Virginia attended hundreds of school graduations.  She performed an important role as a hostess opening her home to the employees and visitors to the school district.  Virginia's loving spirit, her hospitality and her skills as a cook,  continue to make her place a home to many.                                    

It is impossible to list all of the groups she has helped form, or in which she has remained active.  Some of the groups include: serving as president of the Knott County Cancer Fund, the Hindman Women's club, the Knott County Public Library Board, the Hindman Lions Club, and for many years head of the Knott County Blood Bank.                 

She was one of the original members of the Bicentennial Committee which conceived and built the Human Services Balding, mother of the   Hindman Cub Scout troop, a member of the Kentucky Retired Teachers organization, the Daughter of the American Revolution, and the Ky. Historical Society.  She has been active with the Children's Miracle Network.

Virginia has been an active member of the Hindman United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School and sang in the choir.Virginia loves and enjoys people. She says she is blessed to have two wonderful children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren and two more twin grandchildren on the way.                                  

Corbett Mullins
May 6, 2003