Leslie I. Combs Sr was born June 5, 1878, in Vermont. Combs married Ella May Draper in 1901. Shortly after they introduced their first son Allen Elias Combs to the world in 1905. In 1908 the Combs family moved to Gary, Indiana. This was two years after the city was founded. Picking up work within the now growing city Leslie I. Combs Sr. entered the home building business in 1917 with his partner J. Verplank. A year later Leslie I. Combs started to join many of the civic community groups like Gary School Board, City Planning Commission, Salvation Army Advisory Board, Gary Historical Society, Gary Chamber of Commerce, Gary Real Estate Board, Rotary Club, City Methodist Church, Masons, and Young Men Christian Association. During this time the Combs family grew to include both a young daughter Mary Combs (later Davis) and Leslie I. Combs Jr. also known as Les. Through both work of helping build a booming city and his work within the community, Leslie I Combs Sr. was able to grow the home building business into a Real Estate/building construction business named L. I. Combs and Sons. In 1927 the name was changed to include "And Sons" when Allen Combs joined his father in the now family business. After Leslie Jr finished his education at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN; Les joined his father and older brother at L. I. Combs and Sons in 1940. In Oct. 1941 Les married Lytta Jane Mettler. When World War II come to America Les did not hesitate to offer his assistance in the war. Les joined the Navy and was shortly enlisted into service. He moved up rank and ended the war as a Lieutenant. During this time Les constantly wrote home to both of his parents. After the war the largest project Les oversaw was the multi-million-dollar Village Shopping Center on Grant Street in Gary, Indiana. This shopping center was the first enclosed shopping center in the Midwest in 1953. Leslie I. Combs Sr never quite went into retirement. He was active not only with L. I. Combs and Sons, but also with all his community groups until his sickness forced him to the hospital in which he fell into a coma and passed in July 2, 1959. Leslie I. Combs Sr. was laid to rest in the Ridgelawn Cemetery Gary, Lake County, Indiana. Les had 3 children with Lytta Jane and passed in Nov. 1997. Les was laid to rest in Ogden Dunes Community Church Memorial Garden Porter County, Indiana.