Surname Saturday #1: Gombash

Long have I put off beginning this weekly genealogical meme, but it's about time I started! Before I begin with the actual data, I wanted to talk a bit about the history of my surname and some DNA information.

My surname Gombash was originally Gombás, in Hungary. After coming to America, my 2nd-great-grandparents changed the spelling to aid in the pronunciation of the name. Gombás is a form of the Hungarian word "gomba", which means "fungus" or "mushroom". The term "gombás" implies the original fore-bearer of the surname was associated with mushrooms; either foraging for, growing and/or selling them.

I had my Y-DNA tested twice now; once a few years ago and a second time through a generous friend of mine. All results have come back to conclude that my direct Gombash line belongs to the haplogroup I2a2a, on the human family tree. It appears that our Gombash ancestors seems to have migrated to Hungary hundreds of years ago from the Bosnia-Croatia area.


1. John Edward Gombash, Sr.
b. 02 Oct 1935, Caretta, McDowell County, West Virginia
d. 02 Jun 2005, Joliet, Will County, Illinois
m. Mary Louise Adas; 30 Nov 1957, St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Children omitted for privacy.

2. Alex Gombash; born Gombás Sándor (surnames come first in Hungary)
b. 07 Nov 1896, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
d. 04 Jan 1968, Wheaton, DuPage County, Illinois
m1. Emma Hido (born Hajdú Irma); 19 Aug 1916, Kittanning, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
m2. Catharin Grządziel; 1920-1922, possibly Joliet, Will County, Illinois
*Children omitted for privacy.

3. Alex Gombash; born Gombás Sándor
b. 21 Feb 1872, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
d. 02 May 1931, Goff, Butler County, Pennsylvania
m. Tóth Eszter; 13 Mar 1895, Tiszadob, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
*Sándor; (above)
*Balázs (later Robert); b. 11 Mar 1898, d. Oct 1934
*József; b. 31 Oct 1900, d. unknown (adult)
*Susan; b. 19 Feb 1904, d. Nov 1967
*Gyula; b. 02 Feb 1906, d. unknown (infancy)
*Esther; b. 03 Sep 1910, d. 12 Feb 2000
*Sophie; b. 13 May 1912, d. unknown (infancy)
*Elizabeth; b. 15 May 1913, d. 12 Jan 1948
*Dallas; b. 11 May 1916, d. unknown (adult)
*Julia; b. 31 Jul 1920, d. 22 Jun 2008

4. Gombás József
b. 19 May 1845, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
d. 10 Nov 1886, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
m. Gulyás Zsuzsánna; 15 Dec 1869, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
*Sándor; (above)
*Balázs; b. 23 Aug 1877, d. 07 Mar 1878

5. Gombás Sándor
b. 27 Aug 1814, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
d. 04 Jan 1856, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
m. Sajti Erzsébet; 01 Dec 1835, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
*Miklós; b. 21 Sep 1838, d. 30 Nov 1840
*Miklós, b. 30 Jun 1842, d. unknown (adult)
*József; (above)

6. Gombás József
b. 30 Nov 1793, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
d. 12 Jan 1879, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
m. Mezei Katalin; 06 Jan 1813, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
*Sándor; (above)
*Zsuzsánna; b. 28 Sep 1816, d. unknown
*Juliánna; b. 11 Feb 1819, d. unknown
*Lidia; b. 21 Jun 1820, d. unknown
*Bálint; b. 01 Jun 1829, d. unknown

7. Gombás György
b. about 1762, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
d. 04 Mar 1832, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs megye, Hungary
m. Sára Fodor de Hajdúnánás; 21 Jan 1789, Hajdúnánás, Hajdú megye, Hungary
*Zsuzsánna, b. 21 Feb 1791, d. 01 Mar 1795
*József, (above)
*Miklós, b. 20 Jun 1796, d. unknown
*Sándor, b. 06 Sep 1798, d. unknown
*Zsuzsánna, b. 30 Aug 1801, d. 18 Feb 1858
*Erzsébet, b. 07 Jan 1804, unknown
*Bálint, b. 17 Jul 1806, d.  06 Aug 1806
*János, b. 17 Jul 1806, d. 26 Jul 1806
*Bálint, b. 02 May 1808, d. unknown
*Juliánna, b. 20 Mar 1812, d. unknown

8. Gombás Péter
b. unknown
d. unknown
m. unknown
*György, (above)

My Paternal Lineage

I liked the idea of doing my maternal line so much, I thought it'd be fun to do my paternal line. Here it is:

1) Nick M. Gombash

2) John E. Gombash, Jr.

3) John E. Gombash, Sr.
Born 02 Oct 1935, Caretta, McDowell County, West Virginia
Died 02 Jun 2005, Joliet, Will County, Illinois
Married Mary Louise Adas, 30 Nov 1957, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

4) Alex Gombash
Born 07 Dec 1896, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Died 04 Jan 1968, Wheaton, DuPage County, Illinois
Married 1st Emma Hido (Irma Hajdú), 19 Aug 1916, Kittanning, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Married 2nd Catherine Anna Grządziel, abt 1920-1922

5) Sándor Gombás
Born 21 Feb 1872, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Died 02 May 1931, Goff, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Married Eszter Tóth, 13 Mar 1895, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary

6) József Gombás
Born 19 May 1845, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Died 10 Nov 1886, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Married Zsuzsánna Gulyás, 15 Dec 1869, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary

7) Sándor Gombás
Born 27 Aug 1814, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Died 04 Jan 1856, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Married Erzsébet Sajti, 01 Dec 1835, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary

8) József Gombás
Born before 1793, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Died unknown
Married Katalin Mezei, 06 Jan 1813, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary

9) Péter Gombás
Born before 1737, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Died unknown
Married Erzsébet Balogh, before 1771, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary

10) György Gombás
Born abt 1696, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Died 19 Apr 1776, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary
Married Mrs. György Gombás, Born abt 1703 and Died 17 Feb 1771, Büdszentmihály, Szabolcs, Hungary